MASSAGE AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

WASHINGTON--A new study adds to the body of evidence that massage therapy bolsters immune function in people who are healthy as well as those who are fighting disease, according to presentations made today at the annual meeting of the American Massage Therapy Association.

A panel of researchers discussed recent studies that have shown cellular changes in immune function following massage therapy, including the new research on healthy women that indicates increases in disease-fighting white blood cells and natural killer-cell activity.

"In one study after another, research is suggesting that massage therapy has a positive impact on immune function," said Diane Zeitlin, research associate at the Center for Research in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Kessler Medical Rehabilitation and Education Corporation, West Orange, N.J.

Zeitlin and colleagues studied the reaction to massage therapy of nine healthy female medical students who reported being under considerable acute stress related to an academic examination the following day. After one full-body massage therapy session, all participants experienced reduced levels of anxiety and five of the nine (56 percent) experienced a substantial increase in white cell count and natural killer-cell cytotoxicity (toxicity to cells).

"An increase in white blood cells and natural killer-cell activity better prepares the body to fight off possible invading cells," said Zeitlin. "These cellular changes suggest the immune system benefited from the massages, and these findings fall in line with previous research."

The participants in Zeitlins study showed an immediate reaction to massage therapy, whereas participants in previous studies have shown reaction after a series of massage therapy sessions. Zeitlins research was funded by the AMTA Foundation.

In a 1996 study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience (Vol. 84, pp 205-217) and conducted by the Touch Research Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine, massage therapy improved immune function in HIV-positive gay men with no AIDS defining symptoms. The 29 HIV-positive men received daily massages for one month, according to Gail Ironson, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Miami. The majority of men studied had a significant increase in the number of natural killer cells and in their cytotoxicity, according to Ironson. "We also noted that they had reduced anxiety and cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increased relaxation," she said.

In a third study, Ironson and Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., director of research at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, studied 20 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the previous five years. The women were randomly selected for either a non-treatment control group or a treatment group. Those in the treatment group received massage therapy three times a week for five weeks, with 80 percent showing improved immune function. Those in the non-treatment group did not receive massage and only 30 percent showed improved immune function. This study is an ongoing pilot study.

"These are the first studies that show an effect of massage therapy on an immune function test, which can support the use of massage therapy to alleviate stress, relax muscles and now possibly serve as an alternative medical practice," said Michael Ruff, Ph.D., research associate professor at Georgetown University Medical School with a specialty in virology and immunology. "While effects of disease outcome have not been shown in these early studies, in view of the safety and pleasantness of the intervention, further studies seem warranted and should be pursued."

"These studies, while not large, are very important," said Dr. Janet Kahn, president of the AMTA Foundation.
"Collectively, they suggest that massage therapy has positive effects on the immune function of both healthy and immunologically challenged populations. They further suggest that this enhancement of immune function is a result of a reduction in stress and anxiety. When we consider the range of illnesses that are now considered to be stress-induced or stress-related, we begin to see how important massage could be in reducing illness."

Based on anecdotal data, massage therapists have said for years that massage relaxes people, reduces blood pressure and heart rate, relaxes muscles, increases range of motion, and increases the flow of blood and lymph, thereby cleansing the system. "Now it is time to put these assertions to the test through systematic research," said Kahn. "We are, of course, delighted by the creation of the Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, and the increased attention being given to alternative medicine by hospitals and research centers across the country. We also recognize our responsibility, as massage therapists, to support this research," Kahn said.