Musculoskeletal Pain? Get a Swedish Massage!
Most of the time, people don’t need a good excuse to get a massage. There are plenty of reasons to consider getting one, but it’s even easier to justify getting one when considering the benefits as they relate to chronic pain. Those who experience chronic musculoskeletal pain may want to start giving massage a try to see if it helps to bring some relief, following a new research study that put it to the test.
The study, published in the October 2025 issue of the journal Biology, evaluated how soft-tissue manipulation through massage or light stretching may help with chronic musculoskeletal pain (1). Soft tissue manipulation is done through massage or light stretching. They found that it helps to ease
muscle soreness and promote recovery, but the impact is felt even beyond that, with it having the ability to influence systemic and local markers of inflammation.
In the study, they put Swedish massage to the test to see if it helps with musculoskeletal pain and what impact it has on inflammation in the body. This type of massage is considered to be the most popular in the world, offering relaxing benefits, as it focuses on stress release, by using gliding
strokes, kneading, and more, to help ease muscle tension, increase circulation, improve range of motion, and ease pain. This type of massage differs from deep tissue or one that uses deep pressure.
Study participants received 45-minute Swedish massages, with the pressure and movement being applied to the muscles and connective tissue. They found that this influences immune cells, prompting them to shift from producing harmful signals toward those that foster healing. In fact, they found that within an hour of the massage, there was a shift toward resolution and repair in the body. Researchers found that this type of massage lowers stress hormones, reduces inflammation molecules in the blood, restores muscle strength, and helps improve recovery after surgery. In fact, they concluded that Swedish massage is associated with a significant reduction in the hormones known to influence immune function and the body’s inflammatory response. As that happens, the body shifts into a state of repair.
Furthermore, the study found that this type of massage done twice-weekly for four weeks increases the markers for bone formation, and in a separate study, they found that a single two-hour massage acutely increased the markers that indicate a shift toward bone formation.
Those who suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain may want to give Swedish massage a try to see
if it helps to bring some relief.
Source:
1. Biology. Insight into Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Soft Tissue Manipulation. October 2025. https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/10/1421
