Using Massage Therapy to Boost Your Immunity

Massages are not often thought of right away when you are trying to boost your immune system, but maybe they should be. They can help strengthen your body in a number of different ways. Before the cold and flu season is here in full force, you should consider going out to start a regular pattern of massages. This can help you fight off more that you may be exposed to, and get sick less this winter!

Massages Lower Stress Which Boosts Your Immune System

The connection between massages and your immune system have long been known, but not often been identified. Think about this. If you are under tons of stress, you are far more likely to get sick. Your immune system is required to work overtime to try and keep up when you are stressed, and is often stretched too thin to fight off normal viruses that would otherwise be easy to stay healthy from. If you go and start getting regular, routine massages, you can reduce your stress, and thus, reduce the workload your immune system is currently trying to manage.

Your White Blood Cells Are Also Affected During Massages

When you get sick, your body sends white blood cells to help. When you are stressed out, not exercising enough, or otherwise too busy to take care of your body, your white blood cells can become lethargic. By getting a massage, you can energize these cells and get them working harder to keep you healthy. They will more freely move around your body, which allows them to be more effective when any type of intruder gets introduced to your blood stream.
Your body also creates more cells that are known as killer cells when you get massages, and those cells seek out and kill the intruders that are not mean to be in your body. Plus, research has shown that when massage therapy is regularly sought out, even those with immune deficiencies are able to be healthier. This has proven to be effective at increasing serotonin levels, which directly impacts how responsive white blood cells are within the body.

Chronic Pain Goes Down with Massages, Too

On top of having a more effective immune system from getting regular massages, many types of chronic pain can also be decreased or eliminated. This can leave you feeling better overall, and allow your body to be more responsive when you are first exposed to any type of a virus or infection. If your pain is decreased, you are more readily able to notice new pain you feel, and you are going to be able to more effectively get treated for anything that you do come into contact with.

To get these benefits on top of the immediate benefits that massage is so well known for, consider calling a local massage therapist today. Academy Massage can help you start your sessions of massage therapy soon, and help you keep them regularly scheduled so you can get the long-term benefits, too.