I really enjoyed the article “Regimens: Massage Benefits are More than Just Skin Deep” in The New York Times a couple weeks ago. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA conducted a study on healthy adults receiving massage and discovered positive biological changes after just one session. Volunteers experienced a decreased level of cortisol, a stress hormone, in their blood and saliva as well as a decreased levels of arginine vasopressin, a hormone which can lead to increased levels of cortisol. Researchers also found an increase in the number of white blood cells, being essential for healthy immune system functioning.
Please read more about this study here: