Using Massage To Treat Depression - A Powerful Anti-Depressant

There are many different types of depression and more people each year seem to be suffering from this illness. Using massage to treat depression can work well in some cases. A massage therapist must be careful not to claim to be able to cure severe depression through any techniques, however, as severe depression should be treated by psychiatric expert.

People are depressed for a variety of reasons. Often, depression has to do with a situation, such as losing a job or experiencing a trauma in ones life. In these cases, a massage therapist can use techniques to help this person overcome this overwhelming feeling of sadness. Techniques include working with the abdominal muscles as well as those in the head and neck to help straighten out a person who is suffering from this form of depression. Many people with this disease find that their body structure is actually collapsed due to the depression. It begins with the abdominal muscles, where the organs that store the cells that fight for the immune system are stored beneath. Because the body is in such a collapsed state, a depressed person runs the risk of acquiring illness or disease as their immune system is not working properly.

By restoring the body to the full state prior to collapse, a massage therapist can assist a person with depression to keep their body healthy. It can return the human structure back to prior the collapse. In addition to working with the abdominal muscles and head and neck muscles, the massage therapist will also incorporate working on the arms and shoulders of a depressed person.

Many people with chronic depression find themselves in pain much of the time. They are often told that the pain is all in their head as there may be nothing actually physically wrong with them. Many will complain of stomach or back pain, yet despite tests, they have no physical ailments. A massage therapist can help a person with chronic depression alleviate some of the pain that they feel that is most likely due to the collapse of their abdominal muscles and skeletal system due to the depression. While a massage therapist cannot cure a patient of depression, they can certainly treat a patient with depression and help them with painful symptoms of this disease.

Some people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder Syndrome, also known as SADS. This occurs during the winter months when there is not enough sunlight. When deprived of light, people tend to become depressed, have mood swings or even become ill. Studies have shown that people who work in the evening are more prone to cancer than those who work during the day. This is believed to be because of the depression they suffer from not being in the sunlight. The depression affects the body, the abdominal cavity and shuts down the immune system. Light therapy is often used in addition to massage therapy for patients who are suffering from SADS. A massage therapist who treats such a patient can use certain lights that emulate sunlight during the therapy session. The lights have been known to help individuals suffering from SADS and the massage therapy techniques can get the body out of the collapsed state and into good working order.

If you are a massage therapist who is using massage to treat depression, remember that you are not a psychologist and if your patient is talking of suicide or seems severely depressed, he or she must seek professional help from a licensed psychiatric professional prior to getting massage treatments. For those who have situational depression or SADS, massage therapy can do wonders to help them overcome this illness.