Massage- Real Benefits

Most people enjoy receiving massages.  But in recent years, massage therapy has been gaining steam as a legitimate therapeutic modality.  Beyond rubbing muscles to make you "feel good" for an hour, it is very likely that there are discernible biological changes that occur as a result of a good massage.

The New York Times reported on a recent research article that highlights some of the benefits of massage therapy.  It appears that volunteers had lowered cortisol levels after a massage compared to controls. Cortisol is regarded as the "stress hormone" that often runs out of control in our lives. In other words, massage lowers stress levels.  This may not be a surprise, but it is good to see that our this effect is more than psychological; it actually changes our biochemistry.

It also "decreased IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 levels relative to baseline measures."  Interleukins (IL) are chemicals that cells in your body use to talk to each other.  Many are produced by immune cells.  A decrease in these levels is interpreted as a generally good thing in this context.  We want cells in your body to talk to each other, not scream at each other.

Dr. Mark Hyman Rapaport, the lead author of the study is quoted as saying the findings are “very, very intriguing and very, very exciting — and I’m a skeptic.” 

Massage therapy probably won't replace regular visits to your doctor, but it may deserve as place alongside "healthy diet & regular exercise" as staples of a healthy lifestyle.