[The effect of physiotherapy treatments on the immune system]

The authors provide an overview of the effects of physiotherapy on the immune response. Immunomodulation plays a decisive role in the analgesic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms underlying physiotherapy. Exercise is the most prominent physiotherapy treatment, for which the most evidence exists. The skeletal muscle is a secretory organ that releases myokines in response to movement. One of the best-known of these is irisin, a movement-induced myokine. Irisin plays an important role in inhibiting oxidative stress, reducing systemic inflammatory responses, and providing neuroprotection. It also has a positive effect on the functions of regulatory T cells, modulates immune cells, and increases the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Physiotherapy plays a significant role in improving the clinical condition of patients with autoimmune diseases. The beneficial tumor-immunological effects of regular physical activity are not accompanied by harmful side effects. Physiotherapy increases the number of natural killer cells, which play an important role in the defense against tumors. Massage, electrotherapy, and photomodulation treatments also affect the immune response. Following radon and sulfur bath treatments, statistically significant reductions in cytokine levels and other inflammatory biomarkers were observed. The anti-inflammatory effect of whole-body cryotherapy may also be due to a decrease in interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor levels. Knowledge of the effects of physiotherapy treatments on the immune response may be an important consideration when choosing a treatment strategy for these diseases. Orv Hetil. 2026; 167(17): 651-660.