Researchers at Griffith University, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, studied the effects of foot massage on agitated behaviors.

First, the details.

• 22 elderly men and women with a diagnosis of dementia and a history of clinically significant agitation received a 10-minute foot massage each day for 14 days.
• The short form of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI-SF) and the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC) were used to assess the response.

And, the results.

• Both scores were significantly reduced after message and remained significantly lower than at the start of the study at the 2-week follow up.

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, “This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that limited short-duration foot massage reduces agitation and related behavioral problems in people with dementia, and that these behavior changes are maintained after the massage ceases.”

Next, we need a study in more patients with a comparison of massage to a no treatment control group

9/21/11 21:32 JR