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Massage & Depression
- Victoria Zorich
- Nov 16, 2020
- 5 min read
The State of Mental Health In America statistics of 2019 reported that more than 45 million Americans, which is almost 20% of the population, have a mental illness.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Major Depression affects about 6.7% of the U.S. population over the age of 18. Even more discouraging is Major Depression in children and adolescents has increased by almost 5% over the last six years.
Depression, also known as Major Depressive Disorder or Clinical Depression, is a mood disorder that makes you feel constant sadness and have lack of interest in life altogether. An individual can also end up feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless. Some individuals may experience clinical depression only once or twice in their entire life, while others find themselves stuck in the hopeless feeling several times. In the end, between 20%-25% of adults suffer a Major Depression episode at some point.
To be diagnosed with depression, doctors use the DSM-5, a manual used to diagnose mental disorders. According to the DSM-5, you have depression when you have five or more of these symptoms for at least two weeks:
Feel depressed nearly every day, especially in the morning
Feel hopeless, worthless or guilty
Low energy or tired
Problems with sleep- too much or too little
Feeling sluggish or agitated
Lost interest in activities once enjoyed
Changes in appetite or weight
Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
Frequent thoughts of death/ suicide (not just fear of death)
Feeling cranky and restless
Lose of pleasure in life
Overeating or not feeling hungry
Having sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
Though common, not everyone with depression experiences symptoms the same. The severity, type, length, and frequency all vary. Physical symptoms also occur although they are less common. These may include digestive problems, appetite changes, joint and back pain, as well as trouble sleeping. Depression sufferers have also been noted to have slowed speech and movements.
No one has yet to pinpoint the exact cause as to why individuals suffer from depression although they believe it has to due with a combination of factors. One major idea has to do with Brain Chemistry. Chemicals within the brain called neurotransmitters play a part in controlling mood and emotions. Dopamine, a major neurotransmitter, plays an essential role in several brain functions, including learning, motor control, reward, emotion, and executive functions. When someone has depression, it could be because these chemicals are not functioning the way they should. As for those suffering with physical symptoms- the reason is that brain chemicals linked to depression, specifically serotonin and norepinephrine, play a role in both mood and pain.
Hormones can also be to blame as to why almost twice as many women as men have Major or Clinical Depression. These changes can occur as early as puberty and menstruation for young women, or begin anytime throughout their life. A woman's hormone levels change with pregnancy, postpartum, miscarriages and menopause, and continuously fluctuate throughout their lives. Any one of these as well as thyroid problems, or other reasons have the ability to set off depression symptoms.
Just like the chemical factor, researchers have not yet found the genes that responsible for depression, although Major Depression can occur from one generation to the next in families. Still, depression does not discriminate, and often affects people with no family history of the illness.
It is unclear how Massage benefits those with depression, though many are putting together hypothesis and conducting studies in order to prove just that. According to recent research, massage therapy might work to mediate mood-influencing hormones like cortisol. John Rollinson, LMT, CST-D, who practices in Northampton, Massachusetts, states that “Massage Therapy increases circulation and improves the balance in terms of stress hormones. It also improves overall health.”
The Society for Integrative Oncology and the American College of Chest Physicians believe the current evidence is so strong, they revised their clinical practice guidelines to support the use of massage to help treat anxiety and mood disturbances in patients.
Alice Sanvito, Massage Therapist and owner of Massage-St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri, points out that depression takes as much of a physical toll as it does a mental one. “Depression is considered a mental illness, but one feels it in the body as well, a sense of heaviness in the corporeal. The physical experience of massage can change the physical sensation of heaviness to something lighter and can restore the feeling of living in one’s body again instead of being lost in one’s head,” Sanvito notes. The idea of the reestablishing the mind-body connection is further discussed by Christopher Moyer, PhD an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Stout. He believes receiving a massage allows a person to reengage with their own body in a relaxed state. “It’s possible that receiving massage therapy gives a person a kind of insight, in that it reeducates the person as to how their body and mind ought to feel when they are relaxed, healthy, less anxious and less depressed.” Moyer says.
Constantly living in ones emotions, always feeling hopeless, worthless, and helpless takes a toll on the mental state of a person. Depression IS A MENTAL ILLNESS. And as it has been said time and time again, it has the ability to take on physical symptoms. Sanvito relates massaging those suffering from depression to clients with chronic pain. She theorizes that some of the value of massage for those with depression comes from interrupting the pattern of symptoms on a regular basis. “Each time one interrupts the pattern and experiences calm, it’s easier to remember what it’s like to live in a more normal state, gives one hope that it is possible,” Sanvito suggests.
Moyer also believes massage works similarly to psychotherapy. Similarities between the two include, '50-minute hour' long sessions held in private settings, repeat sessions with long-term goals in reduction of anxiety or depression at a forefront. He further connects the two through interpersonal relationships between client and practitioner founded on trust. Moyer says, “it should also be noted that massage therapy should not be used as a stand-alone treatment in serious cases, at least not at present,” he further cautions, “Medication and psychotherapy both have a much larger and stronger evidence base supporting their effectiveness. For serious cases, massage therapy should probably only be used as an additional treatment.”
So if you or someone you know suffers from depression, schedule a massage appointment. Interrupt the routine and provide the mind and body with a bit of relaxation.
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