We all know the benefits that can come with a good massage. If we’re feeling stressed, a massage can help us relax and ease that pressure. If we’re sore from a race or a long week at the gym, a massage can loosen our muscles and get rid of those knots. And if we’re feeling pain, a successful session of massage therapy may be able to target that spot and make the discomfort go away.
But there are reasons to get a massage that go beyond these more “superficial” benefits. While a massage is certainly valuable from the perspective of stress and feel, it can also help you battle everything from colds to cancer by boosting your body’s immune system.
How does this work? There are a couple factors that account for this correlation between a massage and a stronger immune response. First, massage therapy promotes increased lymphatic circulation, a process whereby lymph moves throughout the body, eliminates pathogens and other waste, and increases the spread of white blood cells. Such a process serves to boost your infection-fighting capabilities. Second, a massage can reduce your levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with pressure and stress. High levels of cortisol can boost blood pressure and reduce natural killer cells. Low levels, on the other hand, can allow immune cells to do their job without interference.
These factors are consistent with recent research into the subject. A study funded by the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine found that patients given a Swedish massage displayed a decrease in stress-related hormones and a significant boost in the production of infection-fighting cells. This boost served to strengthen the short-term immune response. The authors of the study, which was subsequently published in the Journal of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, hypothesized that a regular regimen of massage therapy would make the boost a near-permanent one.
So if you have a poor immune system as a result of genetics or disease (or if you’ve recently contracted a cold) you might want to head over to your nearest masseuse and get yourself an immune-boosting massage. Keep in mind, however, that the above-discussed study only found these benefits displayed when patients used certified therapists that attended massage school. Along these lines, make sure that you do your research before getting onto the bed. Your immune system will thank you later.
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Nora Charles is a freelance writer that has worked with many bloggers for several years now.