Studies have revealed that massage can be beneficial for those with depression. It can help lower stress hormones, improve sleep, relax tense muscles, and promote well-being.
Cortisol is a stress hormone (the body’s response to stress) and massage can lower it by as much as 50%.
Massage is also known to increase serotonin and dopamine, which are brain chemicals than can have a mood boosting effect; stimulate parts of the brain with links to pleasure and reward; and change a persons brain waves, decreasing alpha and beta waves and increasing delta waves (which is all good news!).
Massage has also been known to help restore interception – that’s the ability to identify or feel sensations inside the body.
Put that together with a better quality of sleep, and relaxing those tense muscles, then massage has a lot going for it!