Easing Anxiety Through Massage: Promoting Well-Being with Simplicity
But did you know that massage therapy is also used to alleviate symptoms of certain physical and mental disorders, including anxiety? Because your well-being is important, let's explore together how massage can contribute to anxiety relief.
How Do Massages Provide Anxiety Relief?
While massage therapy relaxes the body, several studies also demonstrate its potential to alleviate anxiety. How is this possible? Well, according to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage may regulate cortisol, which is considered the stress hormone. Similarly, a massage session may activate the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain associated with feelings of happiness.
The Benefits of Massages for Anxiety Continue
Concurrently, massage therapy helps the body relax and the patient sleep better. In turn, this relaxing sense of well-being allows an anxious individual to alleviate or reduce symptoms and negative thoughts associated with their condition. Since it relieves pain and muscle tension, improves blood circulation and flexibility, massage helps an anxious person better manage their stress. This underscores the power of massage in anxiety relief.
Swedish Massage: A Sound Mind in a Sound Body
Swedish massage is the most popular type of massage for anxiety relief. It is specifically designed to relax the body and mind. It involves a full-body massage where the patient lies on the massage table while the therapist works slowly to relax different muscle groups. In addition to promoting blood flow, reducing pain and muscle tension, Swedish massage helps alleviate stress and quiet the negative emotions frequently linked to anxiety.
Alleviating Anxiety Through Massage
As we have just seen, massage and anxiety relief go hand in hand. While its purpose isn't to replace traditional medicine, massage therapy nonetheless offers an alternative avenue for an anxious individual to alleviate symptoms associated with their condition.
When scheduling an appointment with your massage therapist, make sure to discuss your medical history, including panic and anxiety symptoms. To learn more about massage therapy and its benefits for the body and mind, explore the other available articles on this blog.
