Effects of Sorusangzi Massage on Stress, Fatigue, and Depression in Middle-aged Working Women

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigates the effects of Sorusangzi massage on stress, chronic fatigue, and depression in middle-aged working women. Moreover, it confirms the applicability of Sorusangzi massage as an interventional alternative therapy for a healthy aging society. Methods: In this study, 40 middle-aged women working as insurance planners were divided into experimental and control groups, each comprising 20 participants. In the experimental group, participants' degrees of stress, fatigue, depression, blood pressure, and pulse rate were measured after performing Sorusangzi massage twice per week for six weeks. Results: After Sorusangzi massage was performed, the experimental group showed less stress and fatigue with significant differences: the average score of stress was 4.1 points in the experimental group and 7.2 points in the control group, and the average score of fatigue was 14.9 points in the experimental group and 19.5 points in the control group. With regard to changes in blood pressure and pulse rate, the experimental group also exhibited significantly decreased blood pressure: systolic blood pressure was 109.0 mmHg in the experimental group and 124.7 mmHg in the control group, and diastolic blood pressure was 64.4 mmHg in the experimental group and 81.4 mmHg in the control group. Pulse rate was 75.8 beats/min in the control group and 64.7 beats/min in the experimental group, showing significantly decreased pulse rate in the experimental group. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate positive effects of Sorusangzi massage on stress and fatigue relief. Furthermore, it reveals that Sorusangzi massage can ultimately improve the psychological conditions and quality of life of middle-aged working women. This study concludes that Sorusangzi massage may serve as an interventional alternative therapy for a healthy aging society.