DEVELOPMENT OF A MASSAGE AND MUSCLE STRETCHING APPLICATION ON FLEXIBILITY AND PERCEIVED MUSCLE RELAXATION
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Abstract
This research aimed to 1) develop a multimedia-based massage and muscle stretching application and 2) investigate the effects of the application on flexibility and perceived muscle relaxation, indirectly assessed by pain scores measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), among residents of Khanong Phra Subdistrict, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The research employed a research and development design conducted in two phases: 1) development of the muscle massage and stretching application and 2) implementation of the application with the study sample. The sample comprised 70 female volunteers, with the sample size determined using G*power version 3.1.9.4. Participants were divided into two groups of 35 each: a control group that did not receive massage or muscle stretching and an experimental group that received massage and muscle stretching using the developed application for 8 weeks. Flexibility and muscle pain scores were assessed before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Differences within groups were examined using paired sample t-tests, while differences between groups were analyzed using independent sample t-tests, and effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d. The results showed that: 1) the developed muscle massage and stretching application demonstrated perfect content validity (IOC = 1.00); and 2) after the 8-week intervention, the experimental group showed a significant improvement in flexibility, with the mean Back Scratch Test (BST) score (right hand over the shoulder) improving from −11.48 ± 6.72 to −7.63 ± 6.04 cm, and significantly reduced muscle pain scores, decreasing from 3.03 ± 2.01 to 0.66 ± 0.68, compared with pre-intervention values and the control group (p < .05). These findings support the use of the developed application as a digital health innovation for promoting massage and muscle stretching by providing convenient access to procedural guidance and facilitating continuous practice, thereby improving flexibility, reducing muscle pain scores, and potentially promoting muscle relaxation among individuals in the community.
Article Details
เนื้อหาและข้อมูลในบทความที่ลงตีพิมพ์ในวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์การกีฬาและนวัตกรรมสุขภาพ กลุ่มมหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏแห่งประเทศไทย ถือเป็นข้อคิดเห็นและความรับผิดชอบของผู้เขียนบทความโดยตรงซึ่งกองบรรณาธิการวารสาร ไม่จำเป็นต้องเห็นด้วย หรือร่วมรับผิดชอบใด ๆ
บทความ ข้อมูล เนื้อหา รูปภาพ ฯลฯ ที่ได้รับการตีพิมพ์ในวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์การกีฬาและนวัตกรรมสุขภาพ กลุ่มมหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏแห่งประเทศไทย ถือเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของคณะวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏศรีสะเกษ หากบุคคลหรือหน่วยงานใดต้องการนำทั้งหมดหรือส่วนหนึ่งส่วนใดไปเผยแพร่ต่อหรือเพื่อกระทำการใด จะต้องได้รับอนุญาตเป็นลายลักษณ์อักษรจากวารสารวิทยาศาสตร์การกีฬาและนวัตกรรมสุขภาพ กลุ่มมหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏแห่งประเทศไทย ก่อนเท่านั้น
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