Science Daily reports (2-1-12) that researchers at McMaster University found that a ten-minute massage reverses inflammation. The researchers assessed the exercise capacity of 11 men in their early 20s. Two weeks later, each subject bicycled to the point of exhaustion for over 70 minutes.
As each subject rested, a therapist lightly applied massage oil to both legs and then did a ten-minute massage on one thigh muscle using a variety of techniques used in physical rehabilitation. The other leg was untreated as a control. Researchers did muscle biopsies on the subjects’ quadriceps before the exercise and then again two-and-a-half hours later.
They found that therapeutic massage helped to reverse over an hour’s worth of exercise-induced muscle damage. The biopsies also showed there was an increase in mitochondrial biogenesis signaling. This means that massage can help the body create more mitochondria, the power suppliers of cells. This, in turn, helps the body reduce muscular inflammation, and decreases cellular stress while revitalizing cellular energy.
Massage therapy therefore may help blunt muscle pain using the same biological mechanisms as many pain medications.
Mark Tarnopolsky who oversaw the study said, “Given that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with muscle atrophy and other processes such as insulin resistance, any therapy that can improve mitochondrial function may be beneficial.