How Massage Heals -- Or, Why You Need a Massage Right Now

My friend Dolores was telling me about her regular massages the other day. Now Dolores is not the kind of woman you think of when you think regular massages. One of 14 children ("My parents had twins at the end because they didn't want to end up with an unlucky number of kids," she laughs.), Dolores grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and raised 10 babies herself. Not the profile of the typical Canyon Ranch sybarite.

In her mid-eighties, Dolores can still sprint up three flights of stairs, but sciatica makes her uncomfortable at times. On the day in question, she told me how much her regular massage helps tame the pain. A day later, I ran across a new study that reveals one explanation for the helpful effects of a good massage. Scientists at McMaster University in Ontario, a leading fitness-research center, found that massage actually changes the functioning of our genes.

Here's how the study went. Two groups of subjects rode stationary bicycles until they were exhausted. Afterwards, one leg of each subject was massaged. When scientists examined muscle cell samples from both legs, they discovered that genes associated with inflammation and achiness were three times as active in the un-massaged leg. At the same time, the action of another gene, associated with energy production in our cells, increased 30 percent. Scientists speculate that this may aid in muscle recovery after exercise.

Enlightened health care plans pay for massage. But even if you have to shell out the bucks yourself, you don't have to consider it a luxury. You can count it money well spent. Massage is therapeutic, not just a treat. Ask Dolores. She knows.