I have been sorting through my files etc and started reading through my embody magazines and noticed an article in the winter 2011 issue and thought it would be worth putting on my blog for you to read, especially with the constant weather changes, people are getting ill.
In the study, published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the authors recruited 53 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 45 and divided them into 2 groups: one that received a traditional Swedish massage and another that received a session of light touch meant to stimulate a massage but without any actual massage-therapy techniques. The Swedish massage’s were all performed by certified massage therapists to ensure uniformity. Each participant had an IV inserted into one arm for the duration of the massage and for a few hours afterward, and blood was drawn at various intervals to measure levels of various hormones and immune system markers.
The authors were working under the theory that massages increase the body’s levels of oxytocin, or “the love hormone”, which itself helps regulate levels of hormones related to stress. Yet, they found that wasn’t the case. People receiving the “light-touch” treatment actually experienced higher levels of oxytocin than the massage recipients. But unlike the light tough group, the massage recipient’s saw significant decrease in stress hormones and increases in the body’s production of various cells that boost immune response.
What it means: a single massage could help boost your immune system and help you cope better with stress, even if you’re not sick or stressed!
Reading the above article, reminded me how powerful massage can be. Book a 60-minute treatment with me this month and get a 15% discount ☺
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