Massage therapy is extremely effective for gaining relaxation. An individual can get relax in the form of both psychological and physiological forms. Mental relaxation means the reduction in cortisol hormone. As a result, individuals can experience less tension, anxiety, and despair. Whereas physical relaxation involves an increase in elasticity and pliability.
Massage therapy can prove itself very beneficial to individuals having mental health problems. Even before an unpleasant situation takes place. The stressful events for people experiencing psychological concerns can be any of the following:
- Business meetings
- Interviews
- First day at a new job
When someone feels stressed the production of cortisol in the body enhances. This is a chemical that triggers stress, anxiety, and fear. The low amount of cortisol allows an individual to be more attentive and observant during a fight. Due to this a person gives a light response and tries to resolve the issue rationally.
Massage is also an appropriate treatment to utilize after the occurrence of any kind of stressful event. The body responds to stressful circumstances by producing more adrenaline and cortisol. Both are linked to stress and are part of the body’s fight or flight response mechanism.
The application of massage therapy plays a vital role in hindering the production of stress hormones. This reduction in hormone levels allows individuals to feel calm and relaxed.
Impact of Massage on Psychological Health:
The growing body of research is supporting the positive effect of massage therapy on mental health. Furthermore, many research papers have also claimed that it produces effects of psychotherapy in certain conditions. In this part, we will discuss in detail how massage therapy affects the mental well-being of individuals.
1. Effective For Relieving Stress:
Stress is the most prevalent negative energy in this modern society. You can’t find even a single person who is not experiencing stress of any kind. Individuals’ mental health and well-being suffer as a result of this. Now, the awareness of the effectiveness of massage therapy for dealing with stress has spread everywhere. There is also the availability of a significant amount of research in this regard.
Relevant Research-Based Evidence:
A study on trigger point massage therapy found that it reduced heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly.
Another study looked into the efficacy of chair massage therapy. Results revealed that oxygen consumption, blood pressure, and salivary cortisol all get lower in 10-15 minutes.
In another study massage therapy is applied to nurses during work hours. As a result, it reduces stress and its related symptoms like:
- Headaches
- Shoulder tension
- Sleep disorder
- Fatigue
- Joints and muscles pain
2. Effective Treatment to Deal with Anxiety:
Anxiety can negatively impact the quality of life of those who are affected. The buildup of various stressful situations in life can lead to excessive anxiety. Like a death of a loved one in the family or ongoing financial worries. Anxiety disorders are more common in sensitive people than in others.
Massage therapy is considered effective because it hinders the hormone production that supports anxiety. Moreover, increasing the production of chemicals leads to a positive mindset. Due to this, a person feels some motivation to get over his fears and negative energy.
Relevant Pieces of Research:
Massage therapy is useful for the following people, according to a study:
- Psychiatric patients
- Chronic pain patients
- Cancer patients
- Kids suffering from chronic diseases
- Patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorders
- Elder people
- Healthy adults
Another research published in Applied Nursing Research has proved the effectiveness of massage therapy. It revealed that back massage is given during chemotherapy significantly reduced anxiety and severe fatigue.
Military Medicine Reports has released another study. Following a massage, war veterans report a considerable improvement in anxiety, worry, despair, and physical discomfort. The low level of tension and irritability following massage has also been reported.
3. Effective for Depression and Seasonal Effective Disorder:
The first solution for all those people suffering from anxiety is psychotherapy. A qualified health practitioner examines a person’s condition. He talks to him and tries to help him in overcoming the stress and fears he is facing. In common terms, you can call it a counseling session. At times, the health professional also prescribes the medication. Right now, people are well aware of the fact that how the combination of treatments benefits them. Massage therapy is playing a revolutionary role in alleviating depression and seasonal affective disorders.
Supporting Research Evidences:
Massage therapy produces the same effect on individuals that researchers have found in psychotherapy.
There is also a piece of research evidence that proves the massage’s capability of improving mood. Moreover, results indicated that it decreases depression in the following people:
- People having chronic pain
- Cancer patients
- Pregnant women
- Individuals living with chronic disease
Research shows that in America every one among five is affected by seasonal affective disorder. Due to it, many people remain depressed and lethargic.
There is another study that reveals that regular massage boosts mood and resets the cardiac rhythm. Furthermore, a cause of better sleep and more energy.
4. Leads to Effective Rest:
Massage therapy doesn’t cause relaxation only while you are on the massage table. It has been seen to improve sleep patterns in people of all ages. Additionally, effective for adults having an issue with a sleep disorder, cerebral palsy, and migraines.
Supporting Research Evidence:
There is a study that revealed that people who have received massage 2 times a week for five weeks experienced a decrease in pain. The relief from severe pain leads to severe disturbances.
Summary:
Next time whenever you visit Meridian Spa for massage therapy, always indulge yourself in psychological benefits. Your mind deserves a moment to unwind itself and try to release all negative ongoing thoughts. Receiving regular treatments is a source of amplifying both psychological and physiological benefits. Each massage therapy will create a greater sense of awareness in your body. So, give yourself a crucial moment to relax, this results in an improvement in overall health.
