Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Massage Therapy: Your Immune System May Knead It, Julia E. Reid

Quill & Scope

Massage therapy has been shown to enhance immune system function through both physical and psychological mechanisms. Massage therapy physically increases lymph circulation and white blood cell distribution. Psychologically, it reduces stress hormone levels thereby disinhibiting proper immune system function. Appreciation for these positive clinical effects could allow massage therapy to be more widely accepted as a complementary medical treatment for many diseases.