The Effect of Massage Therapy to Control Night Shift Related Stress

NCT ID: NCT02247089

Last Updated: 2017-10-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

12 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2014-02-28

Study Completion Date

2016-06-30

Brief Summary

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Background:

The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches (SNS and PNS) of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), keep our body in a state of balance, which can be disturbed in situations of uncontrolled stress. Sleep deprivation and specifically night shift is a source of stress with adverse consequences on sleep, wakefulness, eating patterns and cardio-vascular function. Furthermore, imbalanced autonomic profile is also associated with increased inflammation, a known risk factor for cardiac problems, diabetes, and cancer.

Parasympathetic stimulation can control the inflammatory reaction, leading research toward interventions which can stimulate the cholinergic pathway. Among these interventions, massage therapy has shown to stimulate the PNS and bring back the balance within the body's organs.

Objectives:

1. To assess the physiological effects of night shifts on the ANS profile and bio-markers of inflammation and stress in blood
2. To assess whether one session of massage therapy can revert the adverse effects of night shift via re-balancing these components.

Methods:

A pilot prospective randomized crossover trial with 10 healthy hospital staff is in progress:

Each participants will be their own control. All participants will be measured for their baseline characteristics and outcomes of interest on a regular working day as well as at the end of 2 nights of shift work. At the end of one shift they will be randomly assigned to receive a 30-minute-long "upper body massage", while at the end of the other shift they will receive a "reading intervention" which would serve as a control intervention. Randomization is done using a computer system that also verifies inclusion-exclusion criteria before allocating the intervention.

The autonomic profile is measured by spectral analysis of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) captured by a state-of-the-art machine which non-invasively records electrical signals from the body. The inflammatory markers in the blood are also measured using top-notch laboratory technology.

The results of the study will be reported by comparing the outcomes of each subject with their own baseline as well as comparing the two interventions for the effect of massage. Data will be pooled for all subjects in order to show the overall effect.

The final results of this study will be used to plan stress management intervention trials.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Stress

Keywords

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Night Shift work Stress Autonomic nervous system (ANS) Heart rate variability (HRV) Pre-ejection period (PEP) Inflammation Pro-inflammatory cytokines Massage Therapy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Interventions

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Massage Therapy

Intervention consists of administering a 30-minute-long upper body massage by a registered massage therapist following a massage protocol developed by Vancouver College of Massage Therapy (VCMT).

Intervention Type OTHER

Journal reading (No massage therapy)

Intervention consists of journal reading in the same sitting position as the massage therapy session for approximately 30 minutes.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Otherwise healthy hospital staff between the ages of 20 to 60 taking rotating night shifts on a regular basis.

Exclusion Criteria

* Participants who are on anti-depressants or drugs that affect the cardiovascular system or the ANS.
* Any conditions or disorders that would affect the cardiovascular system or the activity of the ANS.
* Participants who smoke more than 10 cigarettes/day.
* Inability to provide consent.
* Inability to speak and/or understand English.
Minimum Eligible Age

20 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Registered Massage Therapists Association of British Columbia

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of British Columbia

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Mir Sohail Fazeli

Principle Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jean-Paul Collet, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia

Mir Sohail Fazeli, MD, PhD Candidate

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of British Columbia

Locations

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BC Children's and Women's Hospital

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Site Status

Countries

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Canada

References

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Fazeli MS, Pourrahmat MM, Massah G, Lee K, Lavoie PM, Fazeli M, Esser A, Collet JP. The Effect of Massage on the Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System and Markers of Inflammation in Night Shift Workers: a Pilot Randomized Crossover Trial. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. 2020 Aug 27;13(3):6-17. eCollection 2020 Sep.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 32922577 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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H13-01584

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id