Massage and its Benefits on Mental Health
Massage has the ability to increase the parasympathetic system which is directly linked to a relaxation response in the body while decreasing one’s cortisol levels which connects to the stressors in the body. As a result of routine massage therapy, you have the opportunity to reduce one’s anxiety while elevating one’s mood through the direct connection of the neurotransmitters. These alterations will often pave the way in assisting with a clients depression.
From my own work, I have found that when I have been able to utilize the practice of massage to decrease the client’s anxiety during a session that in turn allows the body, mind, and spirit-soul to begin to heal at a better rate. Furthermore, the massage becomes a remarkable tool in creating a better atmosphere from the inside out for the client to understand how to cope with one’s inner struggles. A meta-analysis of studies on massage as a treatment for depression published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that “Massage therapy is significantly associated with alleviated depressive symptoms.” Meanwhile, a pilot study on young adults in an inpatient psychiatric unit reported that, “Massage therapy had immediate beneficial effects on anxiety-related measures.”
Massage and The Nervous System
But, does that translate into truly altering one’s brain chemistry and nervous system? Functional brain imaging studies show that changes take place in many areas of the brain involved in regulating emotions and stress response including the amygdala and the hypothalamus. I have found that from the experiences with my own clients, when I am able to see them on a regular basis you begin to notice a change in their overall behaviors and sense of self. The experiential evidence is remarkable, when you have a client that comes back to see you the following week or two and they refer back to their earlier session and they are feeling a rise in their emotional freedom and ability to see and feel with more clarity. These experiences allow you to be more productive in your daily life as well as having the ability to navigate through the many storms that you may encounter throughout your life experience.
Massage for Mental Health
Massage therapy is a highly beneficial ingredient in assisting clients who are dealing with mental health issues. Through the application of massage therapy, you will gain a better sense of body awareness, an improvement in sleep, as well as a more peaceful mindset. Massage therapy continues to become a practice that is being explored on a wider range in the mental health environment. The expression of human touch is essential to our well being. Human touch has the ability to release the chemical, oxytocin which is considered to be the love or bonding hormone which creates a better sense of trust, stability, and belonging. This hormone reduces stress, anxiety and depression and thus increases self esteem, optimism, and empathy. Morevoer, massage therapy is becoming a more essential theraputic practice in bridging the gap in healing the mind and the body.