What Are The Mental Health Benefits Of Massage?

Recent medical research has shown a direct causal link between massage therapy and a positive impact on many common mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. In addition, there is mounting evidence that massage can assist as part a wider program to help treat more complex mental health issues. Below are some of the ways massage therapy is improving people’s mental health.

What Are The Mental Health Benefits Of Massage?

Mental Health for Veterans

The journal for Military Medicine recently published research that found massage therapy helped veterans relieve pain, irritability, tension, worry, anxiety, and depression. As part of treatment for posttraumatic stress, clinical psychologist John Fortunato put veterans through a comprehensive regimen of therapies, including different types of massage. The message therapy allowed veterans to learn to relax again, and get the healthy sleep their bodies needed by helping to turn off their hyperaroused survival mechanisms.

Work-Related Stress in Health Care Professionals

A recent Mayo Clinic study followed 38 nurses who received chair massages at work once a week for 10 weeks. The research showed that the healthcare professionals who received the chair massages experienced a reduction in stress-related symptoms, including joint and muscle pain, shoulder tension, fatigue, headaches, and insomnia.

Depression and Anxiety

Two of the most common mental health issues affecting adults in the U.S. today, depression and anxiety can have a massively negative impact on peoples lives. Researchers in Taiwan compiled the results of17 scientific studies involving nearly 800 people. The compiled results showed massage for people experiencing depression led to a reduction in the symptoms of depression.

A similar line of research, conducted at Japan’s Kyushu University, found that facial massage has the beneficial effect of reducing participants’ physiological distress. The Japanese researchers concluded that massage activated participants’ sympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, led to a reduction in anxiety and an improved mood.

Neurotransmitter And Hormone Balance

Researcher conducted at the University of Miami School of Medicine has shown massage therapy activates neurotransmitters that can decrease anxiety and lower the level of stress hormone levels, such as cortisol, in participants. The research showed that massage therapy had a positive effect on participants with a range of mental health issues, including depression, eating disorders, and stress.

The research team found that regular massage led to a 30% increase in serotonin and dopamine production in those participants who underwent massage, as well as a proportional reduction in the stress hormone cortisol. The research team suggested that massage therapy was responsible for the increase in mood-improving neurotransmitters and, therefore, an overall decrease in stress levels.

Join One Of The Best Massage Therapy Schools In Las Vegas Today!

At Northwest Career College, we operate one of the best Massage Therapy Schools in Las Vegas and our Massage Therapy Course will teach you the skills you’ll need to apply the benefits of sports massage. The benefits of massage therapy are widely recognized with employment for massage therapists expected to increase by 22% between 2014-2024, with an average massage therapist earning $39,360 a year. Additionally, many massage therapists maintain active, private practices, increasing both their flexibility and earnings.

Our massage student clinic is open seven days a week, for both your and your clients’ convenience, and we offer day and night classes to accommodate your work and family schedules. Our instructors are experienced professionals who will prepare you to sit for either the NCBTMB (National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage) or the MBLEX (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards) exams and we are proud of our 100% board pass rate. Call us at (702) 403-1592 to speak to one of our enrollment specialists today!