Effects of the Foot Bathing on Hemiplegia Patients / 日本温泉気候物理医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to clarify effects of foot bathing at 44°C for the patients with hemiplegia. The subjects of this study were six patients with hemiplegia (average 71.6 years old) and six healthy volunteers (average 74.3 years old). Blood pressure and heart rate were measured using an autonomic spygmomanometer, tympanic temperature using a thermistor, and sweat rate using the ventrilated capsule method during the control period of 10 minutes before foot bathing, for 20 minutes during foot bathing, and for 10 minutes after foot bathing. Subjects wore a plain clothes while taking a footbath and the ambient temperature was set to 20°C. During foot bathing, heart rate was significantly increased, but blood pressure and pressure-rate product did not changed. Tympanic temperature was no significant changed in both subjects during foot bathing. But a significant increase of sweat rate was observed in patients. In healthy volunteers, in contrast, skin blood flow on the bottom of the foot was significant increased. These findings suggest that regulation system of cardiovascular is slightly declined in the patient, and patient's thermoregulatory system was difficult in healthy humans.