Therapeutic Relaxation, Health and Quality of Life

Therapeutic relaxation has shown benefits for improving health and quality of life of community dwelling elderly people. Although little is known about the efficacy of a specific method of therapeutic relaxation - Psychomotor Massage - compared with other relaxation methods. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the effects of two therapeutic programs (Psychomotor Massage and Progressive Muscle Relaxation) on health and quality of life indicators of community dwelling elderly people. This randomized controlled trial will include an intervention period of 8 weeks for control and for the two experimental groups - attending 30-minute sessions, twice a week - and a follow-up period of 4 weeks without intervention. The evaluation will be performed 1) at baseline, 2) at post-intervention and pre-follow-up, and 3) at post-follow-up. The main study variables will be: daily activities, psychomotor abilities, cognitive functioning, emotional states, pain perception, quality of sleep, body awareness and body image, and quality of life. Health biomarkers will be also assessed through saliva analyses.

According to World Health Organization, life expectancy of older people continues to rise, and by 2050, the proportion of the world's population above 60 years old will nearly double, from 12% to 22%. However, living longer does not mean living healthier. So, it is urgent to promote effective interventions in elderly people's health, quality of life and independency, aiming to be able to live autonomous in their homes and in community (WHO).

Aging involves changes on the body and its functions, for example the praxis skills, which leads to a visible decrease on the performance of Activities of Daily Living (ADL's) (e.g. self-care and domestic activities). These difficulties are also associated to dysfunctionality and poor quality of life. All of these decreases are also associated with emotional problems, sleep disorders, and pain.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in more integrative therapeutic interventions. In particular, therapeutic relaxation programs have been increasingly reported to be effective interventions for preventing the functional and emotional losses, associated to the aging process, as well as for promoting health and quality of life indicators. There is a specific method of therapeutic relaxation - Psychomotor Massage - that has been frequently applied in order to improve health and quality of life indicators of elderly people. However, to the best of the investigator's knowledge, no study has yet examined the effects of such innovative relaxation intervention method, particularly comparing them to the effects of a common therapeutic relaxation method, such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation.

Therefore, this experimental randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of two therapeutic interventions programs based on the relaxation techniques mentioned above in health and quality of life indicators (daily activities, psychomotor abilities, cognitive functioning, emotional states, pain perception, quality of sleep, body awareness and body image) of community dwelling Portuguese elderly people.

Subjects above 60 years living in the community will be invited to participate in this study and will be randomized by three groups: control, Psychomotor Massage, and Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Along the study, all patients will continue to receive the usual care from their medical providers. The study will include an intervention period of 8 weeks for control and for the two experimental groups - attending 30-minute sessions, twice a week - and a follow-up period of 4 weeks without intervention. Evaluation will be performed 1) at baseline, 2) at post-intervention and pre-follow-up, and 3) at post-follow-up. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Évora, Portugal, and will be carried out in accordance with the standards set by the Declaration of Helsinki. The collected data will be fully encrypted to ensure the privacy of the participants.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* ≥ 60 years
* Community dwelling
* Absence of cognitive impairment: cut-off \< 22 at Mini Mental State Examination
* Able to participate at assessments
* Able to participate at therapeutic sessions