Approximately 18,000,000 Americans annually have a therapeutic massage. This makes it the 5th most commonly used form of alternative medicine. Biologically, the effects of massage on musculoskeletal tissue have remained unclear despite there being multiple reports showing its therapeutic benefit. There have been numerous studies showing the therapeutic benefits of massage both short and long-term for back pain and other chronic painful conditions.
Most individuals who participate in athletic activities have enjoyed a therapeutic massage to help with recovery. It can help aching, tired muscles get loose and not hurt so much the next day. Scientifically there is now proof showing that massage works on a cellular level.
A new study out of McMaster University and Buck Institute in Hamilton Ontario was published recently in Science and Translational Medicine. The study found that massage treatments were able to promote the growth of mitochondria in skeletal muscle and reduced inflammation significantly.
The study was fairly in-depth and included a genetic analysis from 11 male volunteers looking at their quadriceps muscle biopsies. The young males formed stationary bike exercise until they were tired and then had a massage on one of their legs. The actual leg chosen for the massage was random. Muscle biopsies were taken prior to exercising and then 10 minutes after receiving a massage and then 2 1/2 hours later again.
The muscle biopsy material was then evaluated genetically and showed that there was increased growth of mitochondria and the samples showed lowered amounts of protein molecules and inflammatory cytokines. The conclusion from the researchers was that massage therapy led to pain reduction and that it could quite possibly have been similar to anti-inflammatory drugs in how it worked. Except the patients had no risks of taking a medication.
Athletes have always anecdotally felt that massage gave substantial relief after strenuous activity. This study actually involves scientific evidence showing how it works. As of a few years ago, there was a large push for insurance companies to pay for alternative medical treatments.
Unfortunately, there has also been a large push by insurance companies to lean on evidence-based medicine when making their payment terms. There has already been a lot of research showing the health benefits of chiropractic manipulation.
Due to this, insurance companies are mostly covering chiropractic treatments in America. So a study such as this which shows a biologically beneficial effect of massage therapy will hopefully help push insurance companies into paying for these beneficial pain management types of treatment.
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