抄録
We have applied PMR (Progressive Muscle Relaxation) to muscles in and around the oral cavity to develop an oral relaxation method. In this study, we assessed the effects of oral relaxation treatment for adults, including elderly persons, on the secretion rates of saliva and secretary immunoglobulin A (sIgA). The subjects were divided into three groups by age, (20-39, 40-59 and 60- 90 years old), in order to compare the effects of oral relaxation in different age groups. We also compared the secretion rates for saliva and sIgA for subjects with and without medication to grasp the medicinal effects on salivary secretion.
The salivary secretion rate rose significantly with tongue relaxation in the 20-39 age group and in subjects without medication, but not with either tongue or mouth relaxation in subjects on medication. The secretion of sIgA in saliva increased significantly with mouth relaxation in the 40-59 age group, with both tongue and mouth relaxation in 60-90 age group, and with both tongue and mouth relaxation in groups both with and without medication compared with the control group.
The results of this study suggest that the oral relaxation is useful for promoting the secretion of both saliva and sIgA.
