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MUSC Medical Links Charleston Links Archives Catalyst Advertisers Seminars and Events Research Studies Public Relations Research Grants MUSC home page Community Happenings Campus News Applause

 


Massages may help healing

by Allison Griffith
Center for Therapeutic Massage
While many people know healthy foods and vitamins can boost immune functions, the important role of clinical massage to fight off infectious diseases or help patients recover from surgery often may be overlooked.
 
The immune system is strengthened by massage therapy through various factors such as increasing the body’s natural killer cells, aiding in the fight against bacteria and infection, and enhancing the body’s ability to get nourishment to important areas.
 
Several doctors have begun to recommend massage therapy as a form of treatment for patients suffering from various ailments due to having a poor immune system. Gail Ironson, M.D., from The University of Miami School of Medicine, shares her insight. “In one of my studies, HIV positive men were given 45 minute massages five days a week for a month. They showed an increase in serotonin and an increase in cells that are viewed as the first line of defense in the immune system. This is testing a very narrow aspect of the human immune system, but it does lend scientific credibility to a therapy which is widely recognized as therapeutic, based on experience.”
 
Information about massage therapy and its effect on the immune system will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 4 at Wellness Wednesday in the Ashley River Tower lobby. A Brown Bag Lunch and Learn also will be held from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. Aug. 6 in the Colbert Education Center & Library. To register for the class, e-mail health1st@musc.edu. 



Lactation consultants available
World Breastfeeding Week will be held Aug. 1 to 7.  The MUSC Lactation Service will have a booth and a bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 4 in the Children’s Hospital lobby. The proceeds from the bake sale will be used to support incentive programs for mothers who are pumping breast milk for their preterm or hospitalized infants.
 
MUSC’s goal is to support, educate, and assist mothers in meeting their breastfeeding goals. All nurses who are involved with the care of mothers and babies have received breastfeeding education training.
 
MUSC offers lactation consultation services to those mothers who require additional support to help manage or prevent potential problems. In addition, a pumping room for MUSC employees is available on the first floor of the main hospital. If you are an employee, a breast pump kit can be obtained by calling 792-0410.

Friday, July 30, 2010


The Catalyst Online is published weekly by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. The Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to The Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.