February 2012
Welcome to this month’s article! How has your year been going? According to the CDC, it’s been a milder-than-usual flu season so far, but there are some indications that it’s beginning to increase.
This being the time of year that you’re more likely to be exposed to a cold or the flu, this month’s featured article is how massage can help you to stay healthy. Read on to see how massage can help boost your immune system’s effectiveness and keep you feeling your best.
There are so many areas massage can benefit you—both physically and emotionally. The simple fact that it’s so effective at handling stress can make a huge difference in how you feel and in your long- term health.
If you have any questions regarding your health and how massage might be able to help you, please ask at your next appointment. Your well-being sets the pace for the rest of your life, so taking proper care of yourself should always be one of your highest priorities!
Enjoy the rest of this issue; see you at your next massage appointment!
How Does Massage Help You Stay Healthy?
Sometimes you value your health most when you’re ill. It’s easy to take good health for granted when you feel okay and you’re busy living your life. Doesn’t it make sense to do the things that support good health and ward off illness?
Your ability to stay healthy is dependent on your immune system—your body’s defense against colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections, cancer, toxins, and all manner of health threats.
Your body’s first line of defense is your skin, which allows entry to nourishing substances while simultaneously rejecting germs and toxins.
Another key player in your immune function is a fluid called lymph, which basically is blood plasma without the red and white cells. Blood can only carry nutrients, water, and oxygen so far into the body. The lymphatic system moves lymph to every cell in your body, delivering nutrients and removing cellular waste. Lymph also collects and removes bacteria it discovers throughout your body, doing its part to keep you healthy and disease-free.
According to Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP at womentowomen.com, “The lymphatic system is recognized by doctors in Europe and the Far East for its importance to preventive health care. They understand how lymphatic function supports every other system in the body, including the immune, digestive, detoxification and nervous systems. In fact, many believe that poor lymph health underlies a host of conditions, from cellulite to cancer.”
White blood cells may be the most important part of your immune system. Concentrations of these cells are found in your lymph nodes, tonsils, spleen, thymus, and bone marrow—on call to defend you 24 hours a day. You may be surprised to learn that the largest immunological organ in your body is your intestine, with 70%-80% of all antibody-producing cells located in your digestive system.
How does massage help? “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 Corp., West Orange, N.J.
“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.”
In a study conducted by the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami on women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, the women received regular massage therapy (three times a week for five weeks), with 80 percent showing improved immune function.
“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.” 1
So give your immune system some help this season with regular massage sessions! Call today to schedule your next appointment.
References: 1. American Massage Therapy Association.
Commit to your health ~ schedule your next massage!
Regular appointments can:
• Help support better health
• Minimize stress
• Strengthen your immune system
• Make you feel great!
• Give you something to look forward to each month
How fish can fight Alzheimer’s —
Eating more fish—as long as it’s not fried—could help keep your mind sharp as you age. A new study found that 70-year-olds who ate at least one serving of fish per week had bigger brains after 10 years than those who didn't; the difference was most marked in regions linked to learning and memory. Those with more gray matter were also only a fifth as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. The study backs previous research suggesting that a fish-heavy diet reduces the risk of dementia, but it’s “the first to establish a direct relationship between fish consumption, brain structure, and Alzheimer’s disease,” researcher Cyrus Raji, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, tells WebMD.com. Many experts think the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by improving blood flow to the brain and preventing inflammation. But the new evidence that only baked and broiled fish proved beneficial suggests that “other factors” could be involved, says neurologist Richard Lipton of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Maybe it’s not the fish itself that offers protection but the tendency of people with healthy eating habits to “exercise more or eat less total calories.”
– The Week Vol 11 Iss 546
Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.
— Franz Kafka
The content of this article is not designed
to replace professional medical advice. If you’re ill, consult a physician.
© 2012 Massage Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
