Massage for Mental Health

The role of massage in helping the treatment of mental health conditions. Human touch is crucial to our well-being. Human touch ignites the release of oxytocin, a bonding hormone that gives a sense of belonging, enhanced sociability, stability and trust. Research including a recent one carried out at Mayo Clinic has found that massage greatly reduces mental health complaints.

During the Mayo Clinic research, 38 nurses were given chair massages for 2 and a half months to see whether symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, muscle pain and sleep disorders lessened and they did! Stress can rule the body through several hormones that are responsible for our moods Hormones such as dopamine are our inner givers of happiness but can’t be released unless they are triggered. Massages increase blood circulation which enables an increase in dopamine levels.

Massage can:

- Calm the mind

- Improve sleep

- Reduce headaches and stress

- Improve immune function

- Increase Body awareness.

Johanna (Massage Therapist at Beattie Street Health) is here at Beattie Street Health on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. She has experience with helping people work through stress-related symptoms and has helped improve not only physical issues but enabled positive mindsets.

Learn more about Jo and Massage

Written by Johanna Keyes