Massage helps relieve pain in damaged muscles by sending anti-inflammation messages to muscle cells, according to a Canadian study published Wednesday in the online edition of Science Translational Medicine.

The new study involved the genetic analysis of muscle biopsies taken from the quadriceps of 11 young males after they had exercised to exhaustion on a stationary bicycle. One of their legs was randomly chosen to be massaged. Biopsies were taken from both legs prior to the exercise, immediately after 10 minutes of massage treatment and after a 2.5-hour period of recovery.

The study showed that massage dampened the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the muscle cells and promoted biogenesis of mitochondria, which are the energy-producing units in the cells. The researcher said that the pain reduction associated with massage may involve the same mechanism as those targeted by conventional anti-inflammatory drugs.

Lead author Mark Tarnopolsky, from the Department of Pediatrics and Medicine at McMaster University, said the research provides much needed validation for a practice that is growing in popularity.

"The potential benefits of massage could be useful to a broad spectrum of individuals including the elderly, those suffering from musculoskeletal injuries and patients with chronic inflammatory disease," said Tarnopolsky. "This study provides evidence that manipulative therapies, such as massage, may be justifiable in medical practice."

About 18 million individuals undergo massage therapy annually in the U.S., making it the fifth most widely used form of complementary and alternative medicine. Despite several reports that long-term massage therapy reduces chronic pain and improves range of motion in clinical trials, the biological effects of massage on skeletal tissue have remained unclear.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet