Your Immune System

As interest in massage therapy grows, more studies are being conducted to verify the anecdotal results clients have reported for years.

As an example, a recent study supports current evidence that immune function is strengthened by massage therapy – in both healthy people as well as those who are fighting disease.

"In one study after another, research is suggesting that massage therapy has a positive impact on immune functions," says Diane Zeitlin, a research associate at the Center for Research in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Kessler Medical Rehabilitation and Education Corporation, in West Orange, NJ.

Zeitlin also states that, "An increase in white blood cells and natural killer-cell activity better prepares the body to fight off possible invading cells. These cellular changes suggest the immune system benefited from the massage, and these findings fall in line with previous research."

In a study conducted by the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami, 80 percent of women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and received massage therapy three times a week for five weeks, showed an improvement in immune function.

"These are the first studies that show an effect of massage therapy on an immune function test, which can support the use of massage therapy to alleviate stress, relax muscles and now possibly serve as an alternative medical practice." says Michael Ruff, Ph.D, a research associate professor at Georgetown University Medical School.

Another TRI study addressing myalgia (a chronic condition characterized by muscular pain, aching and/or stiffness and afflicting an estimated three to six million Americans) gave a portion of the study group 30-minute massages twice a week for five weeks. The rheumatologist that evaluated the results determined that this group experienced a decrease in pain, fatigue, stiffness and improvement in the quality of sleep.

If you are fortunate enough to have excellent health, consider what benefits massage can provide for you. What is becoming evident from the growing number of studies on massage benefits is that massage is helping people to enjoy more optimal physical functioning and in return can lead to a better mental outlook.

The next time you hear someone say that massage is only a luxury, you’ll know that massage is really a tool that can help improve a body’s ability to regain and maintain proper function. Making you feel terrific is just a wonderful bonus!