The Brain/Body Connection: How Massage Can Be Great For Mental Health

Massage Chair image

02 Dec 2019

The Brain/Body Connection: How Massage Can Be Great For Mental Health teaser The physical benefits of massage are very well-known. It’s great for providing relief from aches, pains and other forms of muscle and joint discomfort. But did you know that massage can also be great for your mental health as well? 

This is especially relevant in the workplace, where stress and other mental health concerns can have a big impact on the happiness and productivity of your staff.  While it’s by no means a comprehensive strategy for dealing with workplace mental health issues, regular office massage can provide some significant benefits in this area.

If you’re keen to learn more about this fascinating brain/body connection - and how our office massage service can help you make the most of it - make sure you check out the rest of this blog to discover some of the mental health benefits of massage therapy.

Improved Neurotransmitter & Hormone Balance


While a lot of people think of happiness and mental health as an emotional thing, the fact of the matter is that brain chemistry plays a huge role in your mental wellbeing.

That’s why it’s exciting that research has shown that massage therapy has the capacity to activate the production of neurotransmitters that can decrease anxiety. It’s also been shown to lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels.

A study at the University of Miami School of Medicine found that massage therapy had a positive effect on people that were experiencing a range of mental health concerns including stress, depression and eating disorders.

The experiment found that participants that underwent massage therapy experienced a 30% increase in serotonin and dopamine (feel-good neurotransmitter) levels. It also showed a significant reduction in their cortisol levels.

This shows that by engaging our office massage service, you’ll be able to give your staff a boost of feel-good chemicals and actively reduce their stress levels.

Reduced Levels of Depression and Anxiety


Society is waking up to the prevalence of depression and anxiety-related mental health concerns and the huge impacts that they can have on people’s personal and professional lives.

From a business perspective, depression and anxiety have the potential to affect your staff’s morale, cohesion and productivity. That’s why it’s paramount that you do everything you can to combat them and provide your staff with the tools and support they need to deal with any mental health issues they may be experiencing.

Recently, researchers and Taiwan’s E-DA Hospital College of Medicine reviewed 17 different studies and found that massage had positive benefits for people experiencing depression and that it led to a reduction in their symptoms.

Another study at Japan’s Kyushu University found that facial massage was able to soothe patients’ psychological distress and concluded that massage activated their sympathetic nervous system, reducing their anxiety and improving their overall mood.

Happier & More Productive People With On-site Stress Management


While it might not seem like a lot, regular corporate massage can help you harness the mental health benefits of massage we’ve outlined above. Investing in ways to help your staff tackle any mental health issues will not only result in a more productive and profitable workplace, but it’ll also help to create the kind of positive and fulfilling environment that people will love coming to work at.

Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you make that happen!

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