Oct 2019

World Mental Health Day (10th Oct) may have passed, but did you know it is currently
Victorian Mental Health Month? The focus for this year’s Mental Health Month (7 Oct – 6 Nov) is youth – people aged 16-25 years. 1 in 7 young Australians experience a mental health condition.

People often recognise that massage can have a positive effect on their mood, with many seeking massage to help lower stress levels. It may not be as commonly known that massage can also benefit conditions of depression and anxiety. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health conditions experienced by people in Australia.

There is a lack of good quality research on massage and myths about massage abound, but the beneficial effects of massage on anxiety and depression are the most well-established effects in the massage therapy research literature.

Looking after your mental health is important, whether you are experiencing a mental health condition or not. Our mental health affects how we think, feel and act and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. A healthy mental state can boost your ability to deal with stress, solve problems, think flexibly and even fight disease.

So, if your mental health needs some extra care in order to flourish, do consider massage with Akeso Massage Therapy.

 

For those interested in reading the fine print…here is some more detail about the effects of massage on mood:

A series of massage therapy treatments has been shown to consistently produce sizable reductions of depression in adult recipients. Single sessions of massage therapy have been shown to significantly reduce state anxiety, the momentary emotional experiences of apprehension, tension and worry in both adults and in children. Multiple sessions of massage therapy, performed over a period of days or weeks, have been shown to significantly reduce trait anxiety, the normally stable individual tendency to experience anxiety states, to an impressive degree in adults.

References:

www.mhfa.org.au
www.headsup.org.au
www.mentalhealth.gov
www.mentalhealthamerica.net
“Affective Massage Therapy”, Christopher A. Moyer, 2008.