Massage and Your Immune System

Well-known fact: Massage therapy helps to relief pain and promotes relaxation.

Did you know it can also boost your immune system, which can keep you from becoming sick?

Check out this excerpt from Live Science article about a study:

"People who received a 45-minute massage had an increased number of lymphocytes, which are white blood cells that play a large role in defending the body from disease, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said in a statement.

'This research indicates that massage doesn't only feel good, it also may be good for you,' said study researcher Dr. Mark Rapaport, chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, at Cedars-Sinai.

The massage brought other physical changes, too. Afterwards, participants had lower levels of cytokines, which are molecules that play a role in inflammation."