"Does the use of intermittent pneumatic compression for promoting peripheral circulation improve lumbar hemodynamics"

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K17976
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering; Applied health science
• Research Institution: Aomori University of Health and Welfare
• Principal Investigator: URUSHIHATA TOSHIYA 青森県立保健大学, 健康科学部, 講師 (40610994)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 間欠的空気圧迫装置 / 腰背部 / 近赤外線分光法 / 血流動態 / 筋疲労 / 周波数解析 / 腰痛症 / 加圧

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the changes in blood flow in the lower back area induced by use of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) device to improve peripheral circulation in the lower limbs. The objective was to assess the potential effect of IPC on the lumbar blood flow and to clarify the relationship between peripheral circulation and blood flow in the lower back area. We also assessed the immediate effect of IPC on lumbar muscle fatigue.
The key results were: 1) the periodicity of the intermittent pneumatic compression device can be derived in the back of the waist; 2) the increase in superficial blood flow in the back of the waist reached a plateau around 5 minutes after the start of IPC; 3) there was no immediate effect of IPC in reducing the fatigue of the lumbar muscles.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション科学・福祉工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

間欠的空気圧迫装置(Intermittent pneumatic compression; IPC)の使用によって、腰背部ではIPCの加圧・減圧に同期した直接効果による血流変化を引き起こし、IPC終了後も腰背部の血流動態を促進させる可能性が示唆された。これらの結果は血管伸展性の改善は認められないが、IPCの長期使用で腰痛症状の緩和を報告した過去の研究結果を一部支持するものである。