Description
THE EXPERIMENTIn 2017, the BBC ran an experiment with Professor Fulvio D’Acquisto, an immunologist from the University of Roehampton. Professor D’Acquisto came across research which found that massage boosted the number of white blood cells in patients suffering from HIV.
To see if massage might have the same effect in people without serious immune conditions, 7 volunteers were invited for a massage. First off, a blood sample was taken from each participant and analysed it for its white cells count (AKA T Lymphocytes). This served as a baseline reading.
Next, they were asked to lie down and relax for an hour, before taking another blood sample. This was to ensure that when their tested were after the massage, any changes in the T Lymphocyte count were due to the massage itself, and not simply the effect of an hour’s relaxation. This was then followed by a one-hour massage.
Immediately after the session, a third and final blood test was taken.
| Period | 31 Aug 2017 |
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