No one doubts the "feel-good" benefits of massage, but does it go deeper than that? Is it worth an investment in money? Does it do anything for your health?

 Aficionados of massage have long claimed the health benefits of massage, but now research demonstrates the impact of massage on the immune system.

 One study compared women with breast cancer who received 45 minute massages three times a week to women with breast cancer who didn't get massages. Conclusion: the women getting massage had better immune functioning after five weeks of treatment. While massage not cure breast cancer, certainly the impact of improved immune functioning during chemotherapy must be considered a positive.

 Another study used medical students as the subjects. These healthy students were given an hour's long massage right before a stressful exam.  They all reported less anxiety after the massage, but more significantly five of them showed substantial increases in the number of white blood cells in circulation. "Natural-killer" cells, the study found, were more also more active. These are the cells that help destroy virus and cancer cells.

 Michael Ruff, associate professor at Georgetown University Medical School in Washington, D.C., says: "There's now a basis for thinking there is something about massage that might improve immune function. Now we need to get longer follow-up to see how long these beneficial effects last and whether they produce clinically significant results."

 All of us who believe in the benefits of massage are glad to see the academic world looking for scientific evidence to support what we've known for a long while!

 Where to go? Almost every community of any significant size has professional massage services. Frequently massages are available at spas or health clubs. Many professional masseurs and masseuses will travel to your home. Be sure to check backgrounds and references. Most states have some kind of licensing statues in place.

Janelle M. Barlow, Ph.D. 
Author of The Stress Manager

Previous "Stress Management Corner" pages:
 

#1	New Approaches to Job Stress
#2	If Exercise Works as a Cure...
#3	Headaches! The Most Common Complaint
#4	Eight Glasses a Day!
#5	How Well Does Zinc Work?
#6	Intense Emotions Can Kill You
#7	Sleep!
#8	Job Stress and Compensation Claims
#9	Job-Related Stress
#10	Losing Weight - It's Not Easy!
#11	Food Supplements - How Necessary?
#12	Stress and Change
#13	Depression Among the Elderly
#14	Spirituality and Your Health
#15	It's Cold Season Again!
#16	A Positive Attitude is Important
#17	Power of Laughter
#18	More Laughter and Stress Management

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