The Benefits Of Massage Therapy For Mental Health

Massage Therapy Is No Longer Just For Luxury

This is wonderful news for people who suffer from depression and anxiety! Massage therapy works! Yes, we know that it sounds so improbable and maybe even almost an excuse to get a massage, but the truth is, massage therapy works. Not only does it work, from the countless types of massage therapy techniques used today, almost all of them can benefit those who suffer from mental health.

Studies have shown that massage therapy is a unique complement to psychotherapy and research has proven that there is actually a science to it. So the next time someone questions your for promoting massage therapy to help treat mental health, tell them a few of our examples below.

What Exactly Is Anxiety and Depression?

When people speak of mental illness or disorders, the two titles that come to mind first are depression and anxiety. The way that these illnesses take a toll on a person is incredible and the impact that it makes on their lives can be very extreme. So extreme in fact that hundreds of people kill themselves as a result of mental illness. Celebrities who seem to be living the most incredible lives have been found alone in hotel rooms having strangled themselves to death. Mental illness is no joke and must be taken very seriously. Luckily, there are a few things that people can do in order to try to help themselves, and one of those things is massage therapy.

In a Chinese hospital in Taiwan, a study was carried out where 786 people were reviewed and the findings were incredible. After massage therapy, these individuals who had been suffering from mental illnesses had reduced symptoms. In Japan, another study was done where a team of experts learned that even just a facial massage soothed the physiological stresses of their patients. It was then concluded that massage therapy activates the sympathetic nervous system which then helps them control or even remove their anxiety and general mood.

Finding the Balance Between Your Hormones and Your Neurotransmitters

It just so happens to be, that receiving a massage turns on your neurotransmitters which then decrease a depressed person’s anxiety and makes their hormone levels that are stressed lower than they were prior to the massage. In the same study, scientists were able to conclude that receiving regular massage therapy had wonderful effects on people with mental health issues such as anxiety and eating disorders. When the research team had concluded that there was a 30% increase of serotonin and dopamine in patients after having received a massage, it was realized that neurotransmitters helped in decreasing stress.

Increasing Your Blood Pressure and Circulation

Did you know that massage therapy lowers your heart rate? It is true. A study was done with 50 participants, half of whom received a half hour Swedish massage ten times over three weeks, while the other half did not. They were generally in the same types of environments with the main difference was the massage element. When the study was complete, it showed a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, sometimes for a few days even after the massage therapy had been completed.

Another researcher, this time in Florida, targeted back massage therapy in particular and was able to identify that the blood pressure of patients was reduced after having received a massage. It does not matter if you are suffering from high blood pressure or poor fluid circulation, massage therapy is highly advised.

Get Rid of the Symptoms That Say You Are Sick

It is sad but it is true, people who suffer from life-threatening illnesses end up suffering from depression and this tends to speedball their condition. In other words, their condition can head south faster than otherwise and can make a bad situation worse. However, regular treatment of massage therapy can make the quality of life of these patients better and this psychological course of action helps in fighting off their disease. It is recommended that they should receive massage therapy as part of their medical care as it has healing powers and lowers any side effects that their condition brings.

A study done in Columbia University Medical Center revealed that children with cancer were able to successfully manage the side effects of cancer treatment through massage therapy. Some of these side effects include pain, discomfort, anxiety, depression and of course, high blood pressure too.

Patients with AIDS also proved to have less stress and anger after receiving a massage and their general well being had shown massive improvement. By applying relaxation techniques during a massage, patients had lower norepinephrine levels as compared to other patients that had not been receiving massage therapy.

Even Massage Therapists Need Massage Therapy

In a recent study at the Mayo Clinic, it had shown that nearly 50% of health care professionals had massive reductions in their stress levels after receiving massage therapy. By merely conducting chair massages, which is the simplest technique of massage therapy, they were able to relieve the negative effects of muscle pain, shoulder aches, migraines and even insomnia.

This study had proven that it no longer mattered what field of work you are involved in, massage therapy was good for you. This study had proven to be so effective that in-office massage therapy has since boomed in recent years and is relatively common in today’s office spaces. With less stress at the office, productivity had increased and the morale of the employees had become much more efficient when it came to work related stress.

Conclusion: If You Think Massage Therapy Is Good For You, You’re Probably Right

The best way to be 100% sure of this is to speak with a massage therapist, as well as your doctor. Some people have preexisting conditions that may play a role in massage therapy and injuries might be delicate when undergoing massage therapy, so check to be sure. Massage therapists are professionals who have studied countless techniques and may have to use one technique over another to be certain that they do not do more harm than good.

Patients and massage therapists can absolutely take advantage of massage therapy by being familiar with a person’s medical history as well as other treatment that you might be currently involved in. It would also help to inform your massage therapist of any relevant information that you see fit that way they too can adjust to your needs and give you the best of what you deserve.