Sök artiklar i SveMed+

Tidskrift

Sammanfattning

The aim of this paper is to present results of a pilot study investigating reactions and health effects of zone therapy treatments. As increased levels of the hormones oxytocin and b-endorphin have been assumed to cause some of the beneficial effects of massage and acupuncture, the study investigated if this could also apply to zone therapy. Seven relatively healthy persons received classical zone therapy treatments, twice a week during a period of three weeks. Their blood pressure, heart rate and levels of hormones oxytocin and b-endorphin were recorded repeatedly. After every treatment the persons were interviewed to clarify the treatment effects. The results revealed significantly reduced blood pressure, but no clear changes in hormone levels. Despite that, other positive health effects like reduced pain, better sleep and reduced stress symptoms still support the hypothesis that zone therapy treatments in many ways give the same reactions and impact on health as acupuncture and massage. Zone therapy was shown to have most beneficial effects on persons who had some kind of health disorder. More research is needed to clarify whether even persons suffering from a more serious health disorder would benefit from this therapy. KEY WORDS: Zone therapy, oxytocin, b-endorphin, blood pressure, complementary medicine.

MeSH