Boost Your Immune System with Massage

If you've been feeling under the weather lately, results from a new study may provide a delightful solution for how to increase your immune system.

Researchers have reported that people who undergo a Swedish massage experience measurable changes in their body's immune and endocrine response.

Participants of the study who underwent a Swedish massage experienced:

•Significant changes in a type of white blood cell that plays a large role in defending the body from disease.

•Large decrease in a hormone linked to helping aggressive behavior.

• Decrease in levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

•A notable decrease in most cytokines, produced by stimulated white blood cells.

"This research indicates that massage doesn't only feel good, it also may be good for you," said Rapaport, the principal investigator of the study and the Polier Family Chair in Schizophrenia and Related Disorders. "More research is ahead of us but it appears that a single massage may deliver a measurable benefit."

If your body needs an immune boost, book a massage with one of Cottonwood's amazing massage therapists to cure what ails you. Doctor's orders.

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Source: Cedars-Sinai's Department of Psychiatry.

The complete study is published online at http://www.liebertonline.com/loi/acm.