Pulse Oximeter

Aibo Li et al. (2025) · Frontiers in public health

This study tested whether spending three days in a forest could help lower blood pressure in older adults who already have essential hypertension (high blood pressure with no single identifiable cause). Thirty-six adults aged 60 to 80 with diagnosed hypertension took part: 24 went to a subtropical forest national park in China for a 3-day retreat, while 12 stayed in the city of Hangzhou following the same daily schedule, so researchers could compare the two settings directly. The forest group took part in daily gentle activities designed to immerse them in nature: eight trigrams boxing (a slow, breath-focused Qigong practice), a few hours of guided forest walking, a traditional tea ceremony, and a meditation session. Both groups ate the same meals and kept the same schedule. Before and after the trip, researchers measured blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, heart-rate variability (a marker of nervous-system balance), several inflammation and stress-hormone markers in the blood, and mood using a standard questionnaire. After the trip, the forest group's blood pressure was significantly lower than the city group's, both the top number (systolic, ~134 vs. 147) and bottom number (diastolic, ~78 vs. 85). Inflammation, measured by a sensitive CRP blood test, was also significantly lower in the forest group. Heart-rate variability shifted in a pattern the researchers interpreted as a healthy autonomic-nervous-system adjustment for this population. On mood, the forest group reported significantly less tension and anxiety and significantly more energy and vitality than the city group; other mood measures trended better but weren't statistically significant. Heart rate, blood oxygen, and most other blood markers (IL-6, cortisol, oxidative-stress markers) didn't differ significantly between the groups. These results suggest a short forest retreat combining gentle nature-based activities may meaningfully help lower blood pressure, ease inflammation, and improve mood in older adults with hypertension, as a complement to standard care. Because the forest program bundled several practices together (forest walking, qigong, meditation, tea ceremony) and compared a larger forest group to a much smaller city group in a different location, it's hard to know how much came from the forest setting itself versus the other activities. The trial only lasted three days, so it can't say whether the benefits last, and larger, longer studies are needed before forest bathing becomes a standard recommendation for hypertension.

Qing Li et al. (2025) · Journal of occupational health

This randomized crossover trial studied 30 Japanese men, average age 63, who were at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — a common lung condition that narrows airways and makes breathing harder over time, and one of the world's leading causes of death. Each man spent one day forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of mindfully immersing yourself in a forest) in a cypress forest, and another day walking a similar distance through a nearby city, in random order — so each person acted as their own comparison. Both walks covered the same distance at the same gentle pace under the guidance of a certified forest therapist, and participants avoided alcohol and ate the same meals throughout the 3-day trip. Researchers measured inflammation markers and oxygen levels in the blood before and after each walk, checked blood-oxygen saturation with a fingertip sensor, and had participants complete standard questionnaires about breathing symptoms, sleep quality, mood, and fatigue. Forest bathing lowered several inflammation markers (CRP, IL-6, and α1-antitrypsin) significantly more than the city walk did, and raised blood-oxygen saturation, while the city walk produced no such oxygen improvement. COPD-related breathing symptoms dropped significantly after forest bathing but stayed about the same after the city walk. Sleep quality improved across most measures after forest bathing, and mood scores showed less anger, confusion, depression, and anxiety, with people feeling notably more energetic than after the city walk. Fatigue and physical discomfort also eased more after time in the forest. Both walks used the same amount of physical effort (confirmed by matched blood-lactate levels), meaning the extra benefits of the forest walk likely came from the forest environment itself — its cleaner air, plant-released aromatic compounds (phytoncides), and calming, multisensory setting — rather than simply from walking. In people at risk of COPD, these results suggest that spending a day in a forest, walking gently and mindfully, may ease inflammation, improve breathing-related symptoms, and boost mood and sleep more than an equivalent walk in the city. Forest bathing is not a treatment for COPD; the authors caution that diagnosed COPD calls for medical supervision and flat, easy trails. The study is small (30 men) and tested only two single days, so it can't yet say whether these benefits last with regular practice or apply to women or other age groups.

Göktuğ Er et al. (2023) · Medicine

This randomized comparative trial with 70 adults explored whether connective tissue massage (CTM) or classical massage (CM, the "Swedish" style widely used in clinics) works better for chronic mechanical low back pain -- pain and stiffness in the lower back lasting more than 12 weeks with no specific structural cause like fracture or infection. CTM manipulates the skin and underlying fascia with pulling strokes, thought to trigger reflex effects on the autonomic nervous system (the body's automatic regulator of heart rate, blood pressure, and circulation). CM instead strokes and kneads muscle tissue, releasing endorphins and stimulating vascular pressure receptors to ease pain and support autonomic balance. The study compared which method controls pain better and whether either shifts autonomic activity more. Fifty-five participants (28 in the CTM group, 27 in CM, average age around 37) completed the full protocol: a hot pack plus a lumbar stretching and strengthening routine, combined with 20 sessions of their assigned massage over four weeks, five days a week. Pain was tracked on a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline, weekly, post-treatment, and at a six-week follow-up. Heart rate, blood pressure, and skin temperature were measured with standard clinical devices, while disability, quality of life, and sleep quality were tracked with validated questionnaires (Oswestry Disability Index, SF-36, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). Both massages sharply reduced pain by the end of treatment and kept it low at six weeks (P < .001 for both, meaning the improvement is very unlikely to be chance). CM pulled ahead of CTM only briefly, at the two-week mark (1.90 vs 2.60 cm on the VAS, P = .04, a real but small and temporary difference), with no gap between the techniques at any other checkpoint. Peripheral skin temperature rose significantly in both groups (indicating improved circulation), but heart rate, blood pressure, and deeper trunk temperatures held steady in both. Disability, overall quality of life, and sleep quality all improved substantially and similarly in both groups; the one lasting difference was that CTM patients reported better emotional well-being at six weeks than CM patients (P = .03). No adverse events occurred with either technique. For practitioners and patients, the takeaway is reassuring rather than decisive: both CTM and CM are safe, effective options for chronic low back pain paired with heat and exercise, so the choice can rest on training, preference, or CTM's modest edge in longer-term mood rather than on a clear winner for pain relief. Limitations: one physiotherapist delivered every treatment and assessment (no blinding), the trial ran at a single center, and roughly one in five participants dropped out under the demanding five-day schedule. Future trials against a no-treatment control would clarify how much benefit comes from technique itself.