Therapeutic Massage For Anxiety: How Touch Therapy Improves Mental Health

A massage is often a luxury, but new research into its health benefits suggests it’s a luxury that’s certainly worth the cost and time. A new study finds that massages may actually help treat anxiety and other mental health disorders, like depression, due to their ability to reduce cortisol and anxiety symptoms.

The researchers conducted a randomized study that focused on patients who had generalized anxiety disorder(GAD). People with GAD experience constant anxiety, with fearful and worrisome thoughts clouding their mind at all hours of the day — often for weeks or months on end. Unable to escape these worrying thoughts, GAD sufferers will often feel drained, fatigued, or develop long-term stomach pain or muscle tension.

Article by By Lecia Bushak