Massage therapy can reduce brain inflammation from "summary" of The Brain's Way of Healing by Norman Doidge
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have found that massage therapy has the remarkable ability to reduce brain inflammation. This finding challenges conventional medical wisdom, which previously held that the brain's immune cells, called microglia, were fixed in their inflammatory state. However, recent studies have shown that gentle manipulation of the skin can actually send signals to the brain that dampen the activity of microglia and reduce inflammation. The implications of this research are profound. Brain inflammation is a key factor in the development of a wide range of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. By reducing inflammation in the brain, massage therapy has the potential to not only alleviate symptoms but also slow the progression of these devastating conditions. One of the ways in which massage therapy exerts its anti-inflammatory effects is through the release of anti-inflammatory molecules. When the skin is massaged, it triggers the release of substances that can cross the blood-brain barrier and directly inhibit the activity of microglia. This results in a decrease in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are known to exacerbate brain inflammation. Furthermore, massage therapy has been shown to increase the production of neurotrophic factors, which are essential for the growth and survival of neurons. By promoting the growth of new neurons and strengthening existing connections, massage therapy can help to repair the damage caused by chronic inflammation in the brain.- The discovery that massage therapy can reduce brain inflammation represents a major breakthrough in our understanding of how the brain can heal itself. By harnessing the body's natural mechanisms for reducing inflammation, we may be able to develop new and more effective treatments for a wide range of neurological disorders.
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