The immune-boosting effects of massage
Did you know that having massage can boost your immunity?
1. MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE
As well as Myotherapy and Remedial Massage, Unwind Myotherapy offers Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage. This is a relaxing type of massage that increases the rate at which the lymphatic fluid (the fluid that contains your immune cells) is circulated and filtered around the body, aiding detoxification and boosting immune activity. In the 24 hours after a Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage, the rate at which these immune cells are able to circulate around your body, mopping up toxins, viruses and bacteria can be increased by up to 10 times! Learn more about Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage here.
2. STUDY ON THE IMMUNE BOOSTING EFFECTS OF MASSAGE
According to a 2010 study conducted at the Cedars-Sinai Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in Los Angeles, massages don't just feel great, they are good for immunity, too. In fact, the immune-boosting effects of a massage can begin just minutes after the first session!
The authors recruited 53 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 45 and divided them into two groups: one that received a traditional Swedish massage, and another that received a session of light touch meant to simulate a massage but without any actual massage-therapy techniques. Each participant had an IV inserted into one arm for the duration of the massage and for a few hours afterward, and blood was drawn at various intervals to measure levels of various hormones and immune system markers.
The massage recipients saw significant decreases in stress hormones and increases in the body's production of various cells that boost immune system response.
The study found several changes in the blood tests of the Swedish massage group that indicated a benefit to the immune system. For example, Swedish massage caused sizeable decreases in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that contributes to aggressive behavior, and decreases in the stress hormone cortisol. The Swedish massage participants also had an increase in lymphocytes, cells that help the immune system defend the body from harmful substances.
Numerous studies through the years have also determined that massage can aid in stress relief, lessen anxiety and depression, decrease pain, alleviate stiffness, manage blood pressure, improve sports-related injuries, and possibly even contribute to the effectiveness of cancer treatments, among other things. And now that research has proven the health benefits of a single 45-minute session, imagine how great and long lasting the health benefits can be if we all opted to have massages more regularly!
Source: Mark Hyman Rapaport, Pamela Schettler, and Catherine Bresee. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. October 2010, 16(10): 1079-1088. doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0634.