PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF MASSAGE THERAPY

Psychological Benefits of Massage Therapy

by Daniella Miniero (Guest Author - FIT Fashion Business Management) & Dr. Shamil

Sources: https://www.bridgestorecovery.com & https://www.livestrong.com


What is Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a practice that is crafted to alleviate both bodily and psychological distress, promoting mental and physical health overall. This has been present in society since the earliest human civilizations, as a practice of deep healing for the mind and body. The act of massaging stimulates the release of endorphins and serotonin, which can improve your mood. Massage therapy is also known to reduce anxiety, manage stress, induce relaxation, and increase mental acuity. This practice can be utilized to treat many different mental disorders due to the various benefits that can result from it.

Benefits for Anxiety and Depression

While it is widely known that massages can be relaxing on a physical level, this practice can also promote psychological well-being significantly. People who struggle with anxiety and depression often report decreased symptoms after engaging in massage therapy. This is directly related to the fact that massages have a wide variety of neurochemical benefits. A study by the International Journal of Neuroscience discovered that following massage therapy, serotonin levels increased on an average of 28% and dopamine levels increased about 31%. This form of therapy is often used in psychiatric units, resulting in immediate benefits to anxiety and depression related symptoms.

Massage Therapy for Stress Management

When under stress, the body releases the hormone cortisol which can have detrimental effects on health including increases in blood pressure, weight gain, impaired memory, and higher risk of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Individuals with mental disorders often undergo a continuous cycle of stress hormone release that is extremely damaging to the mind and body. However, massages can be an effective method to promote hormonal equilibrium by reducing cortisol levels and breaking this cycle. Recent studies conducted by the University of Miami School of Medicine illustrated that cortisol levels can decrease up to 53% following massage therapy, specifically studying subjects dealing with stress or depression issues.

The Power of Human Touch

Human touch, specifically skin-on skin contact has been proven to be crucial to early childhood development, as well as to maintaining emotional and social wellness throughout life. The importance of human touch to mental health directly links to the bodies release of the hormone oxytocin. This is known as the love and bonding hormone, which has the power to give a sense of belonging, stability, trust, and increased sociability. Oxytocin is also known to decrease social anxiety, depression, and stress, while it increases empathy, generosity, self-esteem, and overall optimism. In addition, this hormone can also reduce psychological distress in many aspects, such as reducing fear in people suffering from PTSD. Overall, based on the importance of human touch from childhood to adulthood, this also highlights the significance of taking care of your skin throughout life to prevent aging and maintain physical wellness. As we get older, the opportunity to get touched goes down because of our aging skin. However, if you maintain youthful looking skin as you get older then the opportunity to get touched by others will remain high and you will reap the benefits of touch and massage.  Thus, physical wellness ultimately ties directly into emotional and social wellness.

Mind-body Connection

Overall, it is very important to maintain a connection between the mind and the body throughout the course of life. However, there are many things that can interfere with the connection to your body, such as trauma, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. The practice of massage therapy allows people to pay attention to the sensations of their body and listen to them. They can then analyze the relationship between emotional and somatic sensations and establish a mind to body connection. This enables an increase in bodily awareness that can ultimately assist in creating a healthier relationship with the physical body and connect to the mind. While most people use massage therapy as a healing property for the body or the mind, this practice has the power to integrate both and result in an overall sense of wellbeing.



#massagetherapy #massage #anxiety #depression #stress #stressmangement #wellbeing #wellness #mentalhealth #anxietyrelief #mind #body #soul #awareness #happiness #oxytocin #cortisol #endorphins #serotonin #dopamine #humantouch #relaxation #relief