Passage #1         What is it? This treatment uses touch to apply pressure to the body's skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. The idea is to ease disorders by relieving tension, promoting blood flow, calming the nervous system and loosening muscles. Massage therapy now encompasses countless techniques, including Swedish; shiatsu and Rolfing.         Is it effective? Yes, according to researcher Maria Hernandez-Reif of the University of Miami's Touch Research Institute. “There is a relationship between stress and our immune systems." she says. The institute has found evidence that massage may reduce the amount of the stress hormone cortisol.         Researchers speculate that a reduction in cortisol allows the immune system to spring back.Researchers are also trying to determine if massage can have specific benefits for children with asthma.
24. The alternative healing described here applies ________ to heal.
(A) needle
(B) herbs
(C) touch
(D) breathing