The Biological Effects of Massage

It is common knowledge that massages relax our muscles and get rid of stress. Have you wondered about the biological changes occurring in your body that produce these effects? What brings on the sense of relaxation and calm? You may be surprised to find out the answers?

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles did a controlled experiment to answer this question. They used 53 healthy adults. They applied a 45-minute session of deep-tissue Swedish massage to 29 of the healthy adults and the other 24 to a session of light massage.

Blood samples were taken from all of the subjects immediately before the massage and up to an hour afterward. The researchers were surprised about the biological effects that occurred.
The 29 healthy adults who received the Swedish massage had significant decrease in levels of the stress hormone cortisol in blood and saliva. There was also a decrease in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. The number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system, had increased.

The 24 participants who had the light massage had a greater decrease in oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of well-being, than the Swedish massage group. There was also a larger decrease in adrenal corticotropin, a hormone which stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol.

The conclusions that can be drawn from this experiment are obvious. A massage can cause the amount of cortisol in blood to decrease. Cortisol is a hormone that causes stress. Stress can lead to tense muscles in the body. So, as the amount of cortisol decreases, muscles tend to relax more. The opposite effect occurs in the absence of a massage, or with a light massage. It can also be noted that the number of lymphocytes or white blood cells increased in the group that received the Swedish Massage. Hence, the immune system becomes stronger and more able to defend the body against foreign invaders, such as bacteria.

This study was published online in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.