With winter right around the corner, it is the perfect time to get a massage in Breck. Whether you’re a tourist or a local to Breckenridge, you’re surrounded by a lot of people during winter season. This makes you more susceptible to cold and flu viruses.
You can get a flu shot, but there is something else you can do to really combat these viruses: get a massage.
Not many people know this, but a massage actually profoundly boosts your immune system and can help you survive the Colorado winter. It’s proven by scientific research.
How does it work exactly?
A massage naturally increases the activity level of important virus killers called lymphocytes.
A lymphocyte is one of the three subtypes of white blood cells in your immune system. Widely regarded as the first line of defense in your immune system, lymphocytes basically identify foreign material (such as bacteria or viruses) in your body and immediately produce chemicals to destroy it. The more lymphocytes your immune system has, the quicker it can combat viruses.
Not only that, but also massage therapy reduces your levels of cortisol, which is a hormone that increases stress. Cortisol directly affects your immune system, as high levels of it hinder the production of natural virus killer cells in your body. The lower your cortisol count, the stronger your immune system.
A bonus benefit of receiving a massage is the fact that it automatically decreases the amount of cytokines in your immune system. Cytokines are small protein cells that help trigger inflammation. The lower your inflammatory cytokine count, the less inflammation you will experience.
How does a massage increase the activity level of lymphocytes?
A massage warms up your muscles and increases lymphatic circulation. The more stimulated your lymphatic circulation, the more the lymphocytes are encouraged to multiply and spread all over your body.
What scientific research backs this up?
A 2010 study conducted by researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles revealed that each of their 29 participants showed an increased number of lymphocytes after receiving a single 45-minute massage.
An earlier study that was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine revealed the same thing. Researchers at Touch Research Institute in Miami discovered that their participants, all of whom were HIV-positive adolescents, showed a significant increase in their immune systems after receiving 20-minute massages twice a week for 12 weeks.
Since a massage helps improve your immune system, it also naturally reduces pain and stress. Visit the Spa at Breckenridge for a massage to help boost the immune system.
