Even One Massage May Have a Positive Effect on Your Immune System!
December 3, 2011 by Amy Grimes
Filed under Health & Wellness, Massage
Think you can’t take time for a massage during the holidays? Think again!
This time of year brings many additional stressors that can wear down your immune system. Don’t you want to take every precaution necessary to protect your health this time of year?
In the study at Cedar Sinai Medical Center, one group of 29 subjects received 45 minutes of Swedish massage. A second group of 24 received 45 minutes of light touch massage. Massage therapists were taught identical protocols in both Swedish and light touch work.
Prior to the massage, study participants were fitted with intravenous catheters in order to take blood samples during the study session. Blood samples were collected from each person before and at the end of the 45-minute massage session. In addition blood samples were collected at one, five, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes after the massage.
Among the study’s results:
- People in the Swedish massage group experienced significant changes in lymphocytes ,(lymphocyte numbers and percentages white blood cells that play a large role in defending the body from disease.
- Swedish massage caused a large decrease (effect size -.74) in Arginine Vasopressin (AVP) a hormone believed to play a role in aggressive behavior and linked to helping cause increases in the stress hormone cortisol.
- Swedish massage caused a decrease in levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
- Swedish massage caused a notable decrease in most cytokines produced by stimulated white blood cells.
You’ve got the science to back it up! So go book a massage for yourself today.
*Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “Adults demonstrate modified immune response after receiving massage, researchers show.” ScienceDaily, 8 Sep. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.
