The benefits of massage on the immune system
You can’t feel it or see it, but out of sight and out of mind, your immune system is working to protect you from infectious bacteria, viruses, injuries and a host of other nasties.
This is more important and relevant than ever due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the need to boost your strength now the cold and flu season is upon us.
In this guest blog, Immunologist, Dr Jenna Macciochi, author of ‘Immunity, the science of staying well’, discusses the latest episode in ‘The Truth About…’ BBC series, which looks at the immune system and discusses how massage can improve its function, as well as your overall well being.
I have been a long time fan of soft tissue techniques and massage therapy. Not only are these relaxing but I’ve experienced first hand how a regular massage can support the function of my body, allowing me to maintain an active life as well as improving my mobility and helping recover from injury. Aside from these benefits, it can also help improve the function of your immune system!
If any of you caught the BBC show, The Truth About Boosting Your Immune System, recently then you would have seen the fun n=1 experiment where the awesome Dr Ronx receives a massage which resulted in a substantial 20 per cent increase in her circulating lymphocytes (the white blood cells that play a large role in defending the body from infection and disease).
Several clinical studies also support that massage is linked to improvements in the immune system in both healthy people and those suffering from things like HIV, cancer or autoimmune disease.
It can help your immune system via many mechanisms:
1️. Lymphatic flow - these are the vessels that carry our immune cells around the body, helping them perform their surveillance function
2️. Nerves in the skin are connected to where the immunity cells are produced and stored, mobilising them into the circulation
3️. Lowering unwanted inflammatory cytokines to reduce baseline inflammation, a known risk factor for chronic disease
4️. Lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone which can reduce immune function, and lower vasopressin, a hormone believed to play a role in aggressive behaviour
5️. Lower experience of pain, which is known to impact the function of our immune system
How often a person should get a massage depends on individual needs and lifestyle. But what we do know is that over the long term the benefits can add up, improving your immune system and overall well being.
Hannah adds:
It’s fantastic to see more and more research backing the positive and beneficial effects of soft tissue massage therapy.
Many people see massage as an indulgent therapy or that it’s simply for relaxation purposes. Through years of treating clients hands on, we can clearly see the benefits it has on both physical and mental health, but unfortunately there is little research to support these claims.
After treatment and often after just one massage session we can see a vast improvement in range of movement and mobility and clients report a decrease in pain, both immediately after, and for a period of time post-treatment. Almost everyone reports feeling calmer, less stressed and enjoy improved sleep. We know these things positively impact our well being, but to see a 20 per cent increase in immune function as well after just one 60 minute massage is incredible.
When I perform massage, I can often physically see a reduction in swelling in the body, aiding the lymphatic system to do its job of removing excess water and waste. How brilliant that we now have research to support that we are able to improve our immunity.
Massage research has come a long way and I can’t wait to see more evidence-based science proving the medical legitimacy of massage."
*References DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007502, DOI: 10.1089/acm.2009.0634, doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00500-2