Immediate effects of Thai foot massage on renal blood flow, psychological stress, and heart rate variability in community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Renal blood flow (RBF) is regulated by an autonomic nervous system and is reduced in older adults. Massage has been previously found to increase blood flow.

Objective: This two-armed double-blind, randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the immediate effects of Thai foot massage (TFM) on RBF, psychological stress, and heart rate variability (HRV) in older adult persons.