Analysis of the impact of age and work experience on palpatory skills of visually impaired and sighted massage therapists

Introduction: Palpation is a basic diagnostic tool. However, difficulties in obtaining unambiguous results make it less reliable. Questions about the reliability of palpation are still valid. The abilities of people who use this type of examination and factors which affect palpation must also be taken into consideration. Aim: Analysis was conducted by means of an experimental study without randomisation. Its aim was to determine the influence of age and work experience on the palpatory skills of massage therapists. Materials and methods: 58 people were studied. They were divided into 2 groups. The first group consisted of 45 massage therapists (students or practitioners). The control group consisted of 13 people with no massage experience. The studied people were subjected to the “hair test”, the “weight test” and the measurement of Static Two-Point Discrimination (STPD) within the thumb-middle fingertips, the thenar and hypothenar. Results: The level of STPD worsens with age in the index and middle fingertips. In the study group, work experience positively influenced the “hair test” and STPD within the thumb and the index finger. In the other tests, the factor of age and work experience did not determine the results. Conclusions: In the research, it is indicated that there are factors affecting palpation skills. However, it is not possible to observe the influence of the analysed factors in each test. This is due to a variety of tests and areas to be measured. Work experience was considered a factor positively affecting palpation skills. Age was considered a factor worsening the tested abilities.