For many people living with high levels of stress and anxiety, it’s common to feel a lack of confidence in taking steps to treat or improve mental health and wellbeing. However, it’s now increasingly common to see people using massage therapy as a way to improve mental health and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Massage is a non invasive and affordable treatment option with a wide range of benefits. While it’s known for its physical effects such as pain reduction, tension release, and improved healing, massage also creates physiological changes that enhance mental wellbeing.
Massage promotes relaxation and stress relief throughout the body, making it a powerful tool that can be incorporated into a mental health treatment plan. The application of massage leads to three main physiological outcomes.
- Increased release of endorphins. The release of serotonin and dopamine often called the “happiness hormones” during treatment can leave you feeling positive, relaxed, and happy.
- Reduction in cortisol. Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone, and massage can reduce its production, which has a positive effect on stress and anxiety levels.
- Increase in body temperature. The stimulation of soft tissue during massage increases blood flow, which raises body temperature and promotes deep relaxation and tension relief.
We all know that being physically active has a major positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. However, those affected by stress, anxiety, or depression may struggle to get active due to their mental state. Massage can act as a trigger to help you return to activity. Its combined mental and physical benefits make it easier to get moving again, allowing you to experience the full mental health advantages of an active lifestyle.
Following a stressful event, cortisol levels rise, and anxiety can increase. Massage helps calm the body and mind, reducing this build up. Prior to a stressful event, if you’re feeling nervous or anxious about an upcoming situation, a massage beforehand can reduce stress and promote mental clarity. Finally, incorporating regular massage into your routine can proactively manage stress and anxiety while boosting your mood. This proactive approach is far more effective than waiting to react to stress once it occurs.
Experiencing these life changing benefits can be the first step toward regaining control, confidence, and an active, happy lifestyle. At Boost Health, our team are passionate about helping patients maintain low levels of stress and anxiety, and Myotherapy is at the heart of that mission.
