A relaxing massage does more than relaxing aching muscles, discovered researchers. They suggest that a soothing massage diminishes swelling at the molecular level, imitating the working of painkilling drugs. It also encourages the growth of new mitochondria, which is the energy-producing powerhouse in the cell.
For their study researchers from the Department of Pediatrics and Medicine at McMaster University in Canada, carried out a genetic analysis of samples of muscle tissue taken from study participants, who had worn-out themselves on exercise bikes. Researchers arbitrarily chose one of study participants’ legs to be massaged.
Then they took biopsy samples from both the legs prior to exercise, immediately after a ten minute of massage and after two and half hours of recovery. The results of the study showed that massage diminished the effect of cytokines, which are immune system’s signaling molecules contribute to inflammation.
Simultaneously, massage promoted the biogenesis of mitochondria. Researchers believe that reduction in pain linked with massage may involve the same mechanism which was employed by anti-inflammatory drugs. The study findings were published in an online edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Study author Dr Mark Tarnopolsky stated the potential benefits of massage could be useful to a wide-ranging of people including the elderly, those suffering from musculoskeletal injuries and patients suffering chronic inflammatory disease. This study gives substantiation that manipulative therapies, such as massage, may be acceptable in medical practice.
The Royal Marsden NHS Trust is using massage therapy for cancer patients who are suffering problems such as relaxing or getting to sleep. A spokesman from the Trust sated massage therapy can help cope with pain, muscle stiffness, breathlessness, anxiety and fatigue.