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Development of a Robotic System for Quantitative Therapeutic Massage

Heffner, Ned Thomas
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1276266128

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Biomedical Engineering.
With the growing understanding of cellular and intercellular signaling and transduction, and the potential to exploit the mechanisms thereof to achieve medical goals up to and including reversal of aging mechanisms, along with the scale-dependent limitations of conventional pharmacological and surgical methods such as cost, logistics, and repeatability, it can be seen that one possible future of biomedical advancement lies the use of subtle methods, with acute attention to the physiological underpinnings. As such the development of a means of quantitatively investigating the effects of massage at the cell, tissue, and structural levels may allow us to reverse-engineer the ancient treatment, to which several mechanisms of efficacy have been suggested, and developed improved, direct-acting, facile, and repeatable protocols for addressing specific pathophysiological mechanisms via massage. To that end, first pneumatic, then robotic massage devices were developed, along with protocols to simulate pathological conditions to be addressed, programming to mechanically imitate conventional massage movements, and custom dynamometric equipment to assess functional recovery. Additionally, to aid in formulation of massage application and interpretation of results, a comprehensive study of the history, current state, and canonical understanding of the mechanisms of massage therapy was performed. Finally, applying a custom extrapolation protocol to data acquired via a newly developed robotic massage system, it became possible to isolate rheological component values for the tissue of massaged subjects, thereby shedding light quantitatively on the mechanisms and effects of this ancient but inconsistently understood therapy.
Yi Zhao, PhD (Advisor)
Stephen Lee, PhD (Committee Member)
95 p.
Biomedical Research
Massage Therapy; Automation; Exercise

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Heffner, N. T. (2010). Development of a Robotic System for Quantitative Therapeutic Massage [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1276266128

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Heffner, Ned. Development of a Robotic System for Quantitative Therapeutic Massage. 2010. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1276266128.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Heffner, Ned. "Development of a Robotic System for Quantitative Therapeutic Massage." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1276266128

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1276266128
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.