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As Chinese massage is increasingly popular, many physicians are needed these days. In order to promote the experience and skills of experts and reduce labour intensity during massage, a massage robot, which could reproduce the expert techniques with individualized manipulation parameters and enhanced safety control strategies, is presented in this paper.

The kinematic and force features of key massage techniques, such as Thumb Kneading, Pressing, Rolling, Vibrating and Pinching, are summarized by analyzing the massage processes of expert physicians, and a mathematical model for robotic massage is established. With safety issues taken into account, the overall system structure of the massage robot is proposed. The system generally consists of a positioning platform and a massage end‐effector which implements the massage techniques, and the end‐effector is further divided into a parallel mechanism and a massage hand to accommodate different techniques. Visual tracking is used for positioning acupuncture points by recognizing markers on a massage vest worn by the patient. A pain threshold value is introduced to individualize therapy schemes and a force‐position control method based on the pain threshold is presented.

VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) tests for lumbar muscle strain are carried out using the massage robot, and the treatment effect of the massage robot based on traditional Chinese massage therapy theory is initially validated.

The treatment effect of the massage robot needs to be assessed clinically for more occasions and more clinical experiments will be conducted, to optimize the configuration and control strategy to meet the clinical needs in future work.

The robotic massage system presented in this paper is acting on acupuncture points based on traditional Chinese massage therapy theory, with human manipulation techniques reproduced and expert experiences incorporated. The massage robot can take the place of a massager to perform Chinese massage. Most of the massage robotic systems published in the world perform only one massage technique and the whole massage process is not completely considered. By comparison, the authors' massage robot could perform five techniques. Furthermore, the authors have designed the procedure of robotic massage specifically for patients who suffer from lumbar muscle strain.

It is generally accepted that massage can provide a lot of benefits to human health, especially for the brain functions. Little is known about the effect of unilateral massage on the brain activities. Nowadays, Swedish massage is a modern massage technique that is popular in both treatment and research fields. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of unilateral Swedish massage on brain activities with electroencephalography (EEG) recording.

In total, 18 healthy adult participants (5 men, 13 women) aged between 22 and 36 years were massaged over one side of arm, forearm, hand, neck and face. Then the same procedures were repeated to another side of the body. EEG was recorded before (baseline) and during each massage condition. The absolute power of four common brain waves consisting of δ (0.5-4 Hz), θ (4-8 Hz), α (8-13 Hz), and β activities (13-30 Hz) from the quantitative EEG analysis between baseline and each massage condition were used to compare with the paired t-test.

The study found the reduction of δ and θ powers over bilateral frontal, fronto-central, and central areas. The increments of α power over the similar brain areas were also observed. These findings indicated the generalized effect of unilateral Swedish massage for inducing relaxation. Moreover, the significant reduction of β power was also found over right central area when left-arm massage was applied. This finding revealed the initial inhibitory effect of Swedish massage over right somatosensory cortex that received sensory stimulation through massage from left side of the body.

Unilateral Swedish massage induced the inhibitory effect at the contralateral somatosensory cortex and then produced the generalized effect which is compatible with relaxation.

In order to be able to use the aroma hand massage as a skill that can be done by a nurse who does not have a special aromatherapy technique, we examine anti-stress effects of simplified aroma hand massage for healthy subjects. We evaluated the anti-stress action of aroma hand massage and the different components of the procedure in 20 healthy women in their twenties. We used autonomic nervous function measured via electrocardiogram as an index of stress. After conducting a baseline electrocardiogram, we induced stress in the participants by asking them to spend 30 minutes completing Kraepelin's arithmetic test. We then administered various treatments and examined the anti-stress effects. Kraepelin's test significantly increased sympathetic nervous function and significantly reduced parasympathetic nervous function. Compared with massage without essential oil or aroma inhalation, aroma hand massage significantly increased parasympathetic nervous function and significantly decreased sympathetic nervous function. The effect of the aroma hand massage persisted when the procedure was simplified. The anti-stress action of the aroma hand massage indicates that it might have beneficial application as a nursing technique. There are several limitations in this study; ambiguities of low component/high component ratio of heart rate variability and bias by small subjects groups of the same women.

This article reports on the contribution that complementary therapies can make to the well‐being of service users who are recovering from mental distress. As part of a wider strategy to promote awareness of a range of self‐management techniques at a forensic psychiatric hospital, complementary therapies (massage and aromatherapy) were provided. This article reports on a review of the evidence of the mental health benefits of the regular provision of these therapies. Further research is needed to establish the effectiveness of massage and aromatherapy for the forensic psychiatric population.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the development and work experiences of an occupational grouping – massage therapy – and to examine the employment experiences of members of this profession, including their relationship with a newly formed professional body.

The paper uses in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with massage professionals working within a region of the UK. The participants were recruited through a survey administered via a professional newsletter.

The findings from this paper suggest that there are few barriers to professionalisation for bodies attempting to represent alternative and complementary medical practitioners. Whilst arguably making this more accessible for the majority, it could lead to issues of control and manipulation of vulnerable individuals – both practitioners and patients.

There is some suggestion that governments should put into place mechanisms to regulate individuals wishing to set up training bodies and professional bodies within complementary and alternative medical practice.

This is an under‐explored area and presented unusually open access to both practitioners and key stakeholders in the professional body.

To ensure the motion attitude and stable contact force of massage robot working on unknown human tissue environment, this study aims to propose a robotic system for autonomous massage path planning and stable interaction control.

First, back region extraction and acupoint recognition based on deep learning is proposed, which provides a basis for determining the working area and path points of the robot. Second, to realize the standard approach and movement trajectory of the expert massage, 3D reconstruction and path planning of the massage area are performed, and normal vectors are calculated to control the normal orientation of robot-end. Finally, to cope with the soft and hard changes of human tissue state and body movement, an adaptive force tracking control strategy is presented to compensate the uncertainty of environmental position and tissue hardness online.

Improved network model can accomplish the acupoint recognition task with a large accuracy and integrate the point cloud to generate massage trajectories adapted to the shape of the human body. Experimental results show that the adaptive force tracking control can obtain a relatively smooth force, and the error is basically within ± 0.2 N during the online experiment.

This paper incorporates deep learning, 3D reconstruction and impedance control, the robot can understand the shape features of the massage area and adapt its planning massage path to carry out a stable and safe force tracking control during dynamic robot–human contact.

The aim of the paper is to formally test that physical exhaustion is distinguishable from work exhaustion, and to investigate common as well as differential correlates of each type of exhaustion.

An on‐line survey sample of 1,895 complete‐data massage therapists and body workers (MT & BWs) was used to test the study hypotheses.

Factor analytic support was found for distinguishable measures of work exhaustion and physical exhaustion. In separate regression models common significant correlates for both types of exhaustion included: gender (females higher), higher surface acting, higher accumulated and continuing education occupational costs, and lower job satisfaction. However, job satisfaction had a significantly stronger negative correlation to work exhaustion versus physical exhaustion. Looking at impact on occupational outcomes, physical exhaustion had a stronger positive correlation to being forced to stay in occupation than work exhaustion, but work exhaustion had a stronger positive correlation to intent to leave occupation than physical exhaustion. Unique correlates for work exhaustion included more years in practice and lower education level, while unique correlates for physical exhaustion included: more average days worked/week, higher deep acting, and higher occupational identification.

From a measurement perspective, the three‐item measure of physical exhaustion and five item measure of work exhaustion each had a good reliability. However, ideally more items should be used to measure physical exhaustion, and other work exhaustion scales should be utilized to validate the results. Expanding the job demands‐resources framework to also include occupational‐level variables, such as accumulated costs, seems to hold promise for helping to further understand the antecedents of exhaustion.

Work and physical exhaustion can impact on occupational outcomes and are risks for other samples such as nurses, home health care aides, physical therapists, and athletic trainers. Many MT & BWs work alone and meditation is suggested as an effective method to improve job satisfaction, reduce work exhaustion and decrease occupational intent to leave.

The paper uses a sample of massage therapists and body workers and overall the findings suggest that work exhaustion and physical exhaustion are related but distinct exhaustion components.

Recent research and media attention has highlighted soaring levels of stress among young people. As part of a programme of research based across a number of universities in London and the South‐West of the UK (called WestFocus) a team of psychologists, social scientists and complementary practitioners have started to investigate this issue with the aim of introducing stress management interventions into the school environment. This paper aims to examine their findings.

This paper summarises the set up, progress, results and implications of a six‐week stress management intervention piloted and evaluated with teenagers at school. The intervention aimed to provide a holistic approach to stress management teaching students both psychological techniques (such as cognitive behavioural therapy) and complementary therapy approaches (such as Indian head massage and aromatherapy).

Structured assessments and qualitative feedback taken at the beginning and end of the programme revealed that emotional well‐being and self‐esteem improved and perceived stress decreased for students. Initial stress levels were found to be high and to have a negative impact on school performance and social activity.

The nature and high levels of stress symptoms experienced by this group of young people have significant implications for the general well‐being of young people and the design of products or services to help.

Relatively little is know about how stress levels affect the well‐being and behaviour of young people including avenues for stress relief, methods of coping and the implications this may have for services, interventions or marketing. This paper aims to explore these issues.

Refugees and asylum seekers often present complex health needs, including chronic pain, related to traumatic experiences. To help them manage their pain, the Wellbeing and Self-Care Service provides health advice, pain education, soft tissue manual therapies and training in self-help techniques. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A 0-10 pain scale (0= no pain, 10= very severe pain) is used to record reported intensity of pain before and after treatment. Change is analysed by comparing the position of a tick on the scale before and after therapy. In follow-up appointments, attendees were asked whether they were practicing self-help techniques; if they experienced improvement, and if so, how long it lasted; and whether they had reduced the use of painkillers.

From April 2014 to March 2015, 192 people were seen in 524 therapeutic encounters (63 per cent females, 37 per cent males). In total, 173 (90 per cent) were asylum seekers and refugees. Of the refugees and asylum seekers, 40 per cent were torture survivors. After treatment, 53 per cent of the 192 people treated showed a major reduction of pain, and 39 per cent a moderate reduction. In follow-up encounters, 87 per cent reported improvement (⩾2 weeks, 46 per cent), 70 per cent reported a reduction in the use of painkillers and 83 per cent reported that they practiced self-help techniques to different degrees.

Soft tissue manual therapies combined with education and training that emphasise communication and active patient participation in the healing process are non-invasive therapeutic approaches that can confer temporary relief to refugees and asylum seekers suffering chronic pain.

Since the 1990s, public health agencies as well as nutrition and child health experts have recognized breastfeeding as the most appropriate infant-feeding mode for optimal health and psycho-emotional development. Consequently, breastfeeding has become a standard of good mothering, internalized by mothers, who implement a demanding self-discipline to perform breastfeeding. This dedication reflects the delegation of biopolitics to individuals in modern neoliberal societies: authoritative experts inform new parents, who then bear the responsibility of their children's health risk management. They are expected to choose appropriate practices as part of a collective strategy of risk management and anticipation of the future by changing current behaviours, aiming at the emergence of a ‘healthy body and mind’ society. Among these practices, breastfeeding holds a central place due to medical consensus about its benefits. In my ethnography of postpartum consultations by independent midwives in Switzerland, I studied the breastfeeding practices and experiences of home birth parents as part of the ‘holistic care’ provided by these midwives. Shadowing midwives during their postpartum visits between 2014 and 2017, I witnessed parents committing to the body and emotional work required to carry out their ‘breastfeeding project’, designed in continuity with their out-of-hospital birth choice. During their follow-ups, midwives engage with parents in a shared construction of meanings around breastfeeding, anchoring parenting identities in the body. I explore in this chapter the issues raised by the production of lactating maternal bodies and how women engage in body and emotional work to achieve it.