Effects of pulse-synchronized massage with air cuffs on peripheral blood flow and autonomic nervous system.

Background: There are almost no reports on the physiological effects of the various electric massage devices available on the market. This report describes the effects on peripheral vascular circulation and autonomic-nervous system activity of a pulse-synchronized air-massage (PS-AM) device in which cuffs apply air pressure cyclically to the lower limbs only during the cardiac diastolic phase.

Methods And Results: The PS-AM device consists of a main unit with a pulse-wave detector that uses the pulse-wave to activate an air pump only during the cardiac diastolic phase.