Recent research suggests that massage is beneficial in reducing inflammation.
In summary, when administered to skeletal muscle that has been acutely damaged through exercise, massage therapy appears to be clinically beneficial by reducing inflammation and promoting mitochondrial bio-genesis.
To a large extent we have to take research of this complexity at face value and trust the skill and interpretation of the scientists involved. In the past I was involved in preparing biopsy samples myself for a research project and I am surprised that such an invasive procedure was permitted on healthy subjects. However the research was permitted and the results are in and match well with anecdotal and case study evidence. Although encouraging, we do have to be careful not to read too much into this research, it was a small sample and much more needs to be done before the evidence is conclusive…
