Massage and the Immune System

Why Should You Avoid Massage When You're Sick with a Cold or Virus?

As winter settles across Australia, cold and flu season begins its annual cycle. While a remedial sports massage might seem like the perfect way to nurture your body and relieve aches and pains, it’s essential to understand that receiving a massage when you’re sick can do more harm than good — both for you and your therapist.

Massage and the Immune System

Remedial massage affects several physiological systems, including the circulatory, lymphatic and immune systems. It stimulates blood flow, increases lymphatic drainage, and can temporarily elevate immune responses in healthy individuals (Field, 2016). However, when your body is already under viral attack — like during a cold or flu — massage may worsen your symptoms.

During an acute infection, your body is already in a state of heightened immune activity. Symptoms like fever, fatigue, congestion, and some muscle aches are signals that your immune system is hard at work fighting off invaders. A massage can overstimulate these systems, potentially accelerating the spread of infection or increasing inflammation, leading to more intense symptoms (Moraska & Chandler, 2009).

What Happens If You Get a Massage While Sick?

When you’re sick, especially with a systemic infection like influenza or rhinovirus, your body requires rest — not additional stimulation. A massage may:

• Increase circulation, potentially spreading the virus more quickly through the bloodstream (Rapaport et al., 2010).

• Exacerbate fatigue and body aches by pushing your system into overdrive.

• Prolong recovery time as the immune system is diverted from its main task — fighting the virus.

• Heighten symptoms such as congestion and fever, as the body responds to the added stress.

  
  

Moreover, lying face-down with nasal congestion can make breathing more difficult during the session, increasing discomfort rather than providing relief.

Consider Others: Protecting Your Therapist and Community

Viruses like influenza and the common cold are highly contagious, especially in close-contact environments such as massage clinical rooms. Bringing your virus into the clinic not only risks your therapist’s health but also the health of other clients — many of whom may be immunocompromised, be carers of high risk individuals like babies/elderly, or managing chronic conditions.

Professional massage therapy clinics, like Track N Field Massage, follow strict hygiene protocols but they are not foolproof against airborne or droplet-transmitted viruses. Staying home when you’re unwell is a simple but effective way to help stop the spread.

When Is It Safe to Return for a Massage?

Wait until at least 48 hours after your symptoms have fully resolved — particularly fever, body aches and fatigue. This ensures your immune system has had time to recover and that you're no longer contagious. At this point, massage can aid recovery by helping relieve residual muscle tension, boost circulation, and support lymphatic function (Hernandez-Reif et al., 2005).

Final Thoughts

Massage therapy is a powerful tool for well-being, but timing matters. As the chill of winter brings more viruses into circulation, do yourself and your community a favour — if you’re sick, rest and recover first. Your body (and your therapist) will thank you.

References

• Field, T. (2016). Massage therapy research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 24, 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.04.005

• Moraska, A., & Chandler, C. (2009). Changes in psychological and immune outcomes following massage therapy: A review of recent research. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 6(4), 459–467. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nem043

• Rapaport, M. H., Schettler, P., & Bresee, C. (2010). A preliminary study of the effects of a single session of Swedish massage on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal and immune function in normal individuals. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16(10), 1079–1088. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2009.0634

• Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T., Ironson, G., Beutler, J., Vera, Y., Hurley, J., ... & Fletcher, M. A. (2005). Natural killer cells and lymphocytes increase in women with breast cancer following massage therapy. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115(4), 495–510. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207450590523080