Massage therapy has been in existence for over 3000 years in China. During a massage therapy, an expert will manipulate your muscles and other soft tissues to promote relaxation, or function. This practice helps to ease feelings of depression in your body as well as release hormones that create a sense of emotional security and connection.
Massage therapy helps calm themind and improve mood, as well as ease physical aches and pains. While more research is needed, scientists have found evidence to support the idea that massage therapy can provide mental health.
How massage therapy helps to relieve depression
Your muscles and connective tissues can become stiff or rigid. This stiffness can cause you pain or limit your movement. With massage therapy, you can alleviate the tension in your muscles and connective tissues. You can also increase your blood flow and promote relaxation.
You must note that massage therapy is not a replacement for medical and clinical ways of dealing with depression. It will not cure your condition if it has been medically ascertained that you suffer from depression.
However, massage therapy can relieve the physical symptoms that often times accompany it such as sluggishness, back pain, joint pain, and muscle aches. It can also help relieve fatigue and sleeping problems.
First, we will rub, stretch and apply pressures to muscles in your body. Some massage styles involve over the cloth touching while some will involve direct contact with your skin. We use scented oils, warm stones and complex but painless twisting poses to deliver excellent results.
Here are some common types of massages:
Swedish massage
The Swedish massage makes use of smooth, circular and kneading actions to soothe your muscles.
Chair massage
Here, you will seat on a special massage chair and lean forward into a comfortable headrest. This is a good starter to massage, since the sessions are usually short and don’t require you to remove any clothing.
Deep tissue massage
Deep tissue massage targets tight muscles as a result of stress and focuses on the muscles closet to your bones as well as their connective tissues.
Shiatsu
In shaitsu, firm pressure is applied to targeted areas on your body. This pressure although more firm than in many other massage does not produce stiffness. It rather, aids in relieving stress.
Reflexology
This type of massage targets and applies pressure to areas of your feet that are connected to other systems and organs in your body.
Aromatherapy massage
Scented oils are a perfect way to finish up your massage treatment and in aromatherapy, we combine massage with scented oils to help reduce stress and boost energy levels.
Hot stone massage
Placing warm flat stones on your body will relax your muscles and when pressure is applied this will relieve muscle tension.
Benefits of Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is safe if carried out by a trained professional. The stress relief is instant and when combined with conventional treatment for depression, such as medication and psychotherapy, it is often more effective.
Are you suffering from depression? At our luxury spa and fitness centre in Abuja, we take great care to include treatments that are geared towards relieving the symptoms of depression. Book a treatment at Ella’s Place today!
