Massage & Immunity

Greetings folks.

I have been massaging for a number of years professionally and I am often asked what benefits massage has for people. Well, where to begin! Massage has been used for thousands of years to both relieve soreness and tension and to help with healing. Massage benefits the person on many levels but one area I am always asked about it whether or not it can influence immunity.

The answer to this is yes it can! It has quite a positive effect on immunity as massage will stimulate and enhance lymphatic flow. For those of you that do not know much about this, lymph fluid flows between the cells and is what watses etc are passed into from cellular activity. The lymph nodes collect this waste and it is then excreted via the various systems and organs of elimination. Correct elimination means a clear system and no toxins etc to cause infections or inhibit function as the lymph also takes away foreign bacteria and viral particles.

Regular massage helps to keep this particular system flowing and operating at optimum levels thereby making it harder for these nasties to take hold. Massage also stimulates the release of feel good hormones and this also helps with lowering stress and this helps immunity as well. Stress will inhibit the immune system considerably and it is often very stressed and run down people that suffewr from constant immune issues.

Regular massage also stimulate and enhances blood circulation which sees all areas of the body receiving more oxygen and nutrients as well as immune cells and yep, you guessed it, this aids immunity as well. oxygen especially. So apart from providing you with regular relief from tension and stress, massage will also benefit immune functioning. I often have clients come to me with a stuffy nose which I can help to clear by massaging certain areas of the neck. Many of my regular clients report improved wellbeing from massage and far fewer incidents of colds and flu and most all report an improvement in mobility.

Massage is a wonderful and simple way to greatly improve your wellbeing, consider it today as part of your ongoing committment to wellness and good health.

Have a great day!

Craig Hitchens. B.HSc. Dip. Mass. Dip. Reflex. NESCP, ATFTCP

If you would like to book for a massage from me just go to http://www.craighitchenstherapies.com/contact.html and book an appointment.

Massage Therapy Benefits

Massage therapy is a safe and effective way to reduce pain and improve function in adults with osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers at the Yale Prevention Research Center and at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) report in the first clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of this treatment.

The 16-week study conducted to identify the potential benefits of Swedish massage on osteoarthritis patients with pain, stiffness and limited range of motion was published in the December 11 Archives of Internal Medicine. Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that affects 21 million Americans and causes more physical limitation than lung disease, heart disease and diabetes mellitus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The 68 study participants, who were at least age 35 with x-rays confirming their diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee, were randomly assigned either to an intervention group that received massage therapy immediately, or to a wait-list control group that received massage after an initial eight-week delay. Both groups were encouraged to continue previously prescribed medications and treatments.

Participants in the massage intervention group received a standard one-hour Swedish massage twice a week for four weeks, followed by Swedish massage once a week for the next four weeks at the Siegler Center for Integrative Medicine at the Saint Barnabus Ambulatory Care Center in Livingston, New Jersey. After the first eight weeks of massage therapy, participants had improved flexibility, less pain and improved range of motion.

The primary study outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain and functional scores, as well as changes in the Visual Analog Scale assessment of pain. Measures of pain, stiffness, and functional ability were all significantly improved by the intervention as compared to the control group.

Those who only continued with their usual care without massage showed no changes in symptoms. During weeks nine through 16, they received the massage intervention and experienced benefits similar to those receiving the initial massage therapy. When reassessed eight weeks after completion of the massage intervention, the benefits of massage persisted and remained significant, although the magnitude of effect was somewhat reduced.

“Massage is free of any known side effects and according to our results, clearly shows therapeutic promise,” said senior investigator of the study David L. Katz, M.D., associate adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health at Yale School of Medicine and director of Yale’s Prevention Research Center. “So-called ‘alternative’ treatments like massage are most important when conventional treatments are far from ideal. Currently available non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often not well-tolerated by older adults with osteoarthritis. Cox-II inhibitors like Vioxx were developed as substitutes for traditional anti-inflammatory drugs, but pose highly-publicized toxicity problems of their own.”

Katz conducted the study with Adam Perlman, M.D., executive director of the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions. The research was the result of a CDC grant to Katz at the Prevention Research Center at Yale. Perlman, who directed the study at UMDNJ, said the significant improvement in symptoms after eight weeks of massage persisted even after the study was completed.

“Our results suggest that massage therapy can be used in conjunction with conventional treatment for osteoarthritis,” said Perlman. “Ultimately, massage may be shown to lessen a patient’s reliance on medications and decrease health care costs.”

Perlman and Katz say that further study of the cost-effectiveness and the lasting impact of the intervention is warranted. They have begun collaborating on a follow-up study.

“Our hope is to show that this treatment is not only safe and effective, but cost-effective,” said Perlman. “That could serve to change practice standards so that massage is a more common option for the many patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.”

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In addition to Katz and Perlman, other authors on the study included Alyse Sabina, Anna-leila Williams and Valentine Yanchou Njike, M.D., all of the Yale Prevention Research Center.

Citation: Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, No. 22 (December 11, 2006)

Yale News Releases are available via the World Wide Web at http://www.yale.edu/opa

For further information please go to:
Yale University