MASSAGE ROLE IN IMMUNITY

hormones also have a role. Hormones, being chemical messengers of the body, have a unique position in directing specific processes in the body. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, sends messages to our cells to take in more glucose. Cortisol, released by the adrenal glands under stress, elevates blood sugar, blood pressure and heart rate. Cortisol is known to suppress the inflammatory response that is triggered by invasion of pathogens. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) boosts the immune system. In early studies it was shown that

cortisol levels were raised in people with stress, whether physical, mental or emotional. Further studies seem to show, however, that people under chronic stress have lower levels of cortisol. As cortisol is released under acute stress and depleted under chronic stress, it cortisol has been considered to be a regulator in our immune system. Although acute stress may allow external pathogens to enter our bodies, cortisol can suppress the inflammation process that is triggered when we are ill, until such time as cortisol levels return to normal. Under chronic stress, when we have depleted production of cortisol, our immune system is open to a full inflammatory process caused by pathogens or exhaustion.

The role of DHEA is less clear,

although we are beginning to understand it more as research continues. It seems that the effect of DHEA’s production in the adrenal glands is to indirectly stimulate the lymphocytes, immune hormones and lymph organs. In this way, DHEA helps to enhance the immune response.

MASSAGE EFFECTS ON IMMUNITY, RELATED HORMONES AND LYMPH ACTIVITY Collective studies are now showing many positive effects of massage therapy on decreasing anxiety and cortisol levels, while increasing immune function in both healthy and immune-deficient people. Research at the Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Center in the USA showed that healthy individuals under stress from exams had increased NK cell cytotoxicity following massage (3). This research also showed that there was an immediate reaction on the

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body following massage, rather than after a series of treatments. The benefits appear not only in healthy individuals but also in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cancer. Research into HIV-positive men at the University of Miami School of Medicine showed that massage increased NK cells and decreased cortisol levels (4). Similar results were shown when investigating the effect of massage on women with breast cancer. In this study, 80% of the group receiving massage therapy three times a week for 5 weeks showed better immune function, while only 30% of those not receiving treatment could show similar results (5). Similar positive results have been recorded when monitoring the improvement of the lymphatic system following massage. The increase in lymphatic flow is one of the more commonly known benefits of massage. Although it is difficult to link it directly to increased immune function, there are indirect benefits that cannot be disputed. Elkins and colleagues found that massage increased lymph flow by seven to ten times (6), while Mortimer and colleagues found a strong influence of massage on lymph flow when measuring lymph flow by isotope clearance (7). There have been no studies into the effects of massage on DHEA regulation, but since it appears that its only effect on the immune system is through the stimulation of immune cells and hormones, much evidence of massage efficacy already supports its role in this process.

CONCLUSION: EFFECTS OF MASSAGE ON ATHLETE IMMUNITY So, what does this mean for athletes? Training, as most people now know, can upset the regulation of cortisol, through either acute or chronic training loads. This training can also lead to decreased white blood cell and NK cell numbers. Immunity is decreased, and our energy resources

THE AUTHOR

Humphrey Bacchus is a clinical massage therapist and neuromuscular therapist. He trained in the USA and worked at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, at the Mapleton Center for Neurological and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, and for Colorado University Sports Medicine. He now works in private practice in Oxford and London. He writes articles on massage and bodywork, continues to study in nutrition and somatic psychology, and runs a company called MTB Works, which provides support to endurance athletes and extreme sports at events and in private clinics.

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can be diverted towards keeping the body healthy state. Depleted energy resources, dysfunctional cortisol levels and decreased immunity are three states that any athlete would be wise to avoid during a period of training. Although the jury is out on so many of the numerous supplements that are on offer, massage comes up as one of the best things that athletes can use to support themselves, not only on a physical level by ironing out aches, pains and strains, but also as a boost to the innate and adaptive immune systems. Regular massage can bring about a more flexible body, not in a musculoskeletal sense but in terms of adaptability to fight off pathogens, can lower blood pressure, can increase a sense of wellbeing and can decrease any symptoms of fatigue that, unregulated, may lead to illness.

References 1. Fraker PJ, King LE, Laakko T, Vollmer TL. The dynamic link between the integrity of the immune system and zinc status. Journal of Nutrition 2000;130 (5S suppl.):1399S–1406S 2. Immune system adaptation in elite athletes. 2006;9:659–665. 2. Gleeson M. Immune system adaptation in elite athletes. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 2006;9:659–665 3. Zeitlin D, Keller SE, Shiflett SC, Schleifer SJ, Bartlett JA. Immunological effects of massage therapy during academic stress. Psychosomatic Medicine 2000;62:83–87 4. Ironson G, Field T, Scafidi F, Hashimoto M, et al. Massage therapy is associated with enhancement of the immune system’s cytotoxic capacity. International Journal of Neuroscience 1996;84:205–217 5. Field T, Hernandez-Reif M, Ironson G. Massage therapy effects on breast cancer. Unpublished 1998 6. Elkins EC, Herrick JF, Grindlay JH, Mann FC, De Forest RE. Effects of various procedures on the flow of lymph. Archives of Physical Medicine 1953;34:31 7. Mortimer PS, Simmonds R, Rezvani M, Robbins M, et al. The measurement of skin lymph flow by isotope clearance: reliability, reproducibility, injection dynamics, and the effect of massage. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 1990;95:766–682.