earticle

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Purpose: Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is applied reduce edema but is not applied clinically to relieve stress. This study compared the changes in the stress-related autonomic nervous system when applying MLD and Swedish massage to stressed office workers. Methods: The pre- and post-tests were conducted to measure changes in sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous activity. MLD and Swedish massage were administered to the MLD and Swedish massage groups, respectively. Sympathetic (low frequency; LF) and parasympathetic (high frequency; HF) responses of the autonomic nervous system were measured, along with the LF/HF ratio. A paired t-test was used to compare pre- and post-test results, and one-way ANOVA was used to compare differences between groups. Results: The LF, HF, and LF/HF ratio showed a significant difference between the pre- and post-test in the MLD and the Swedish massage group (p<.05). After the intervention, the LF and LF/HF ratio were significantly lower in the MLD group than in the Swedish massage and rest group (p<.05). HF was significantly higher in the MLD group than in the Swedish massage and rest group (p<.05). Conclusion: MLD is relatively easier to learn than Swedish massage or simply resting, and it effectively promotes relaxation with less pressure, making it beneficial for stress relief.