Nurhasan, Wara Kushartanti, Taufiq Hidayah, Nur Shanti Retno Pembayun, Nur Luthfiatus Solikah, Bekir Erhan Orhan, Adi Pranoto
Objective: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, reflected in elevated IL-6 and TNF-α levels. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, often reflected by elevated circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Moderate-pressure sport massage has been suggested as a complementary approach for modulating inflammatory markers, although evidence in diabetic populations remains limited. This study evaluated changes in IL-6 and TNF-α following a four-week sport massage intervention in adults with T2DM. Methods and Materials: A single-group pre–post quasi-experimental design was employed, with no non-massage control group. Twenty adults diagnosed with T2DM participated in the intervention. Participants were stratified by sex into male (n = 10) and female (n = 10) subgroups. All participants received moderate-pressure sport massage three times per week for four weeks. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations were assessed before and after the intervention using ELISA. Findings: Sport massage was associated with reductions in IL-6 and TNF-α levels (p < 0.05). Although males showed larger mean decreases, this observation should be interpreted with caution given the small subgroup sizes and baseline differences, particularly in age and BMI. Conclusion: In this short-term single-group study, moderate-pressure sport massage was associated with lower IL-6 and TNF-α levels in adults with T2DM. These preliminary findings highlight the need for controlled studies to determine the clinical relevance and reproducibility of these changes. © 2025 the authors.
Department of Physical Education, Health and Recreation, Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, East Java, Surabaya, 60213, Indonesia; Study Program of Sports Science, Faculty of Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Sleman, 55281, Indonesia; Study Program of Sports Education, Faculty of Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Central Java, Semarang, 50229, Indonesia; Study Program of Medical, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, East Java, Surabaya, 60213, Indonesia; Study Program of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, East Java, Surabaya, 60213, Indonesia; Faculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Aydın University, Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, 34295, Turkey; Department of Sports Coaching Education, Faculty of Sports and Health Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, East Java, Surabaya, 60213, Indonesia
