(17-09-10) A simple massage could keep you from getting sick

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

Massages are a great way to release tension and stress and promote
relaxation. But a new study published in the Journal of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine has revealed for the first time that massages also
provide a measurable, therapeutic benefit to the immune system as well.

Dr. Mark Rapaport and his team of researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
in Los Angeles, Calif., evaluated 53 people, 29 of which received 45-minute
Swedish massages--one of the most common forms of massage used in the U.S.--and
24 who received gentler, light touch massages. Researchers took blood samples
at intervals before and after the massages and found that those who received
even just one Swedish massage experienced significant, positive changes in
blood composition.

"This research indicates that massage doesn't only feel good, it also may be
good for you," explained Dr. Rapaport in a press release. "People often seek
out massage as part of a healthy lifestyle but there hasn't been much
physiological proof of the body's heightened immune response following massage
until now."

Besides experiencing a significant increase in lymphocytes, the white cells in
the body that help fight and prevent disease, the Swedish massage group
experienced lower cortisol levels as well. Cortisol is the hormone released by
the adrenal gland in response to stress.

The Swedish massage group also experienced a decrease in arginine vasopressin,
a hormone linked with aggressive behavior.

"European-style massage is often used to treat back pain, sleep disorders, and
other stress-related disorders," explain Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox
and Makoto Suzuki in their book The Okinawa Program: How the World's Longest-
Lived People Achieve Everlasting Health.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/healt...
(NaturalNews)

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In evidenza

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Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.