Maintaining good mental health is crucial in today's fast-paced and stressful world. Ill mental health received a lot of publicity due to the modern lifestyle, especially after the Covid-19 epidemic.
Two years after the Covid-19 epidemic's end, research shows that our national mental health is still not back to normal. While traditional approaches like psychological therapy and psychiatric medication are commonly practised, an increasingly popular and effective way of treating mental health through complementary therapy is emerging—massage and body therapy.
Hundreds of researchers have documented the positive effect of massage on mental health over the last few decades. Beyond its well-documented physical benefits, massage therapy has shown remarkable potential in improving mental health by reducing stress, alleviating anxiety and depression, promoting relaxation, and fostering overall well-being.
In Bodyology Massage School, the effect of Covid-19 on mental health, together with the well-researched improvement massage offer, was the trigger of enhancing our approach to teaching massage to help our students prepare to practice on clients who suffer from mental health issues, exploring the science behind its efficacy and highlighting its transformative potential.
The Mind-Body Connection
The complex connection between the mind and body is well-established, with mental and emotional states often manifesting as physical symptoms. For example, it is known in massage that many clients who suffer from depression may develop more persisting lower back pain. Similarly, physical experiences can influence our mental well-being. Massage therapy harnesses this mind-body connection by engaging with the body's sensory receptors and releasing tension and stress from both the physical and mental realms.
At Bodyology, we updated our teaching to include identifying and assessing such mental health issues, how to engage and ask clients about this sensitive issue politely, adding a few massage skills and providing an extra safe space for them to feel comfortable and reduce their stress.
Stress Reduction and Anxiety Relief
One of the primary mental health benefits of massage is stress reduction. Prolonged stress can have debilitating effects on mental well-being, leading to anxiety disorders, insomnia, and mood disturbances. Massage triggers the relaxation response by increasing the input on the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down the heart rate, decreasing cortisol and adrenaline hormone levels, and promoting the release of endorphins— chemicals associated with feelings of well-being and happiness.
Regular massage sessions have been shown to reduce anxiety levels and improve overall emotional resilience significantly. During the massage courses at Bodyology, our tutors emphasise teaching our students advanced and new massage relaxation techniques and skills to ensure that the massage they provide relaxes clients.
Alleviating Depression Symptoms
Depression is a prevalent mental health condition affecting millions worldwide. Massage therapy can play a valuable role in alleviating its symptoms. Massage helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which aids in reducing the production of stress hormones and increasing the production of serotonin and dopamine, which are associated with mood regulation. This dual action provides a natural and holistic approach to managing depressive symptoms, often complementing other treatment modalities.
During the massage course, teaching students how to be delicate around asking clients for their feelings is necessary. Some clients will need more time to 'open up', and the therapist's role is to ask and offer helps. During the course, we develop a few' role-playing' to help students gain some experience in this delicate issue.
Enhancing Emotional Well-being
Massage therapy provides a nurturing and supportive environment that promotes emotional well-being. For example, we now regularly teach students the importance of offering clients a 'safe space'. The power of touch, combined with a safe and comforting space, fosters a sense of trust, connection, and relaxation. Massage helps individuals reconnect with their bodies, encouraging self-awareness and grounding. This process can release emotional tension, facilitate the processing of unresolved emotions, and provide a renewed sense of balance and clarity.
Improved Sleep Quality
Sleep disturbances often accompany mental health challenges, exacerbating the symptoms and creating a vicious cycle. Quality sleep is vital for mental and emotional restoration, promoting cognitive function, and maintaining stable mental health. Massage therapy has been shown to enhance sleep quality by promoting relaxation and reducing stress and anxiety levels. Studies have indicated that regular massage sessions can improve sleep duration, reduce sleep latency, and enhance overall sleep quality.
Boosting Self-Care and Mindfulness
In a society that prioritises productivity and multitasking, self-care is often neglected. Incorporating regular massage therapy into a self-care routine can be a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness and self-awareness. Massage sessions encourage individuals to slow down, be present, and focus on their physical and mental experiences. Massage promotes self-reflection, self-compassion, and overall psychological well-being by fostering a deeper connection with oneself. We improve our massage courses by teaching our students how to offer clients self-care advice such as relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, how to take mini breaks when needed and more.
Complementary Therapy in Mental Health Treatment
Many mental health professionals now recognise massage therapy as a valuable therapy that can enhance the effectiveness of other treatment modalities. While massage therapy alone cannot replace traditional mental health interventions, it is a valuable complementary approach. Integrating massage into a comprehensive treatment plan can contribute to improved outcomes, increased self-care practices, and a holistic approach to mental well-being.
Massage can help many clients with their mental health. In the post Covid-19 period, we witness an epidemic of mental health problems. There is a need to develop further the massage courses' content to include theory and practical skills to help clients with their mental health issues. At Bodyology, we welcome teaching the link massage offer to mental health problems and commit our courses to offer students the best way to prepare themselves for the demand once they graduate.
Links
Introduction to massage (one day) course Professional Massage Diploma Course
9 things to look for when choosing a massage school
Meet a massage tutor for an advisory meeting