Massage, long acknowledged for its physical and emotional benefits, becomes more effective as the number of massages increases, according to a new study.
Researchers at the Emory Unversity School of Medicine found that the aftereffects of a massage persist for several days to a week, and that the effect is cumulative. In the five-week-long study, they examined the health of subjects who underwent Swedish massage once or twice a week, and light touch control once or twice a week.
After measuring the participants’ immune system and neuroendocrine responses, the researchers concluded that the more frequently people had treatments, the more their immune system improved.
In a prior study, the researchers found that even a single session of Swedish massage led to a measurable change in the immune system.
In addition to these benefits, massage has been found to improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, HIV, back pain and asthma.
The study was reported online in the “Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.”
