Depression and Massage
Depression is a term used to classify a group of disorders that causes
debilitating changes to one's emotional state. There is a really good book
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, by Robert Sapolsky with a description of
depression. He classifies depression as "a genetic-neurochemical disorder
requiring a strong environmental trigger whose characteristic manifestation is
an inability to appreciate sunsets."
Depression is a whole body illness that affects the nervous system, moods,
thoughts and behavior as well as sleep patterns, eating habits and your ability
to respond and act in your life.
Symptoms of depression include chronic fatigue, insomnia, sleep problems,
headaches, backaches, digestive disorders, restlessness, irritability, loss of
interest in relationships and life, feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy.
A person with depression may be chronically angry or sad or go to the other
extreme of having no emotions at all.
The causes of depression are wide and varied and not very well understood.
It may be triggered by stressful events, chemical imbalances, poor diet,
allergies, thyroid and other hormone disorders, hypoglycemia and some hereditary
and social conditioning factors.
There are many levels or degrees of depression and different types of
depression that I won't go into here but it is enough to mention that depression
is a vary complex situation. It can range from annoying to life
threatening.
A meta analysis of massage research done in 2004 was one of the most
significant studies for the massage profession.
The meta-analysis of massage therapy research was done by Christopher Moyer.
It seems massage may offer benefits similar to psychotherapy when it comes to
decreasing anxiety and depression, an exciting find says Christopher Moyer,
whose research recently appeared in Psychological Bulletin (January 2004). But
just to be clear Moyer's findings do not suggest the substitution of massage, as
a stand-alone modality, in place of professional psychological or medical
treatment for these conditions. "We may find it is a good complement for
(treatment of) depression," he says, especially in combination with other forms
of care.
Depression and the Stress Response System: Part I of III By Ruth Werner, LMP,
NCTMB
Part II ,
Part III
Thermal Therapy Benefits Depressed Patients Massage Magazine
Massage Therapy in Depressed People by Pamela Fitch, Massage Therapy Journal
Massage Strategies for Depressed Clients By Pamela Fitch
Etouch online news from AMTA
