Objectives: To determine the effects of massage therapy on the immune and psychological state, and serum lipids levels.
Design: A non controlled trial with 32 subjects.
Setting: Kyoto Prefectural School for the Blind and Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.
Subjects: 32 adults aged from 18 to 56 years (10 males; 22 females).
Interventions: One 25-min whole body massage.
Outcome Measures: Changes in peripheral blood levels of red blood cells (RBC), hematocrit (Ht), white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes, neutrophils, CD4+ lymphocytes, CD8+ lymphocytes, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, CD16+ lymphocytes, serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ), serum interleukin 6 (IL6), serum total cholesterol (T-CHO), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c); saliva secretory IgA (s-IgA); State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).
Results: Psychological measures; Both state and trait anxiety scores decreased significantly (p<0.001). Serum lipids; Significant hemodilution and significantly decreased levels of serum T-CHO, LDLc and HDLc (p<0.001) were observed. Immune measures; Significant decreases of neutrophils (p<0.05) and CD16-positive cell counts (p<0.01) were recognized.
Conclusions: It was suggested from our result in the present study that massage therapy is an effective relaxation/stress management technique which could reduce anxiety and modulate immune function.