As we go through life, there will be moments when our energy can become unbalanced. We may be looking forward to a future event(s) or remembering past experiences and we do so with different perceptions about how events have unfolded or will unfold. Depending on the experience, we can move ourselves into a depressed or anxious state of being.

Everyone experiences these moments, however they can be more severe for some people and can persist to the extent that they interfere with daily activities, disrupt normal sleep patterns and lower or stagnate energy. In the case of depression, there is not just a feeling of sadness, but much more serious. There are different types of depression and it expresses itself in different ways in individuals. Some symptoms of depression are unhappiness, anger, irritability, changes in appetite, anger, loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable and body pains like low back pain and headaches.

Anxiety is more than the occasional feeling of anxiousness. Persons with anxiety worry about a number of different topics excessively and persistently. Work, family, relationships, money, health and other topics could be frequent thought patterns. Symptoms include  muscle tension, irritability, difficult concentrating, fatigue or feeling restless.

Massage Therapy can help with both anxiety and depression. Though both disorders are commonly treated with medications or cognitive behavioral therapies along with others, and massage is proving to be very effective. Massage therapy has a way of bringing awareness to the present moment. Depression will have us stuck in thoughts of past scenarios, wondering why things turned out the way they did and how things would be better if events happened differently. Anxiety sends us in a loop towards trying to control future outcomes. Worry of how an event will “play out” or how to get things to go “perfectly” can debilitate a person’s decision making process - we can, simply, overwhelm ourselves with thoughts of the past or future. 

Not only is massage calming, but physical touch can help a person let go of past or future scenarios and focus on the present moment. massage therapy can help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression, including muscle tension and sleep disturbances. Experts recommend going in with an open mind and not talking or thinking about any sources of worry during the massage.

A striking similarity between treatments involving depression and those for anxiety, is that both are dependent on an interpersonal relationship founded on trust.

“Some psychotherapy researchers think that the existence of the trusting relationship—sometimes referred to as the therapeutic bond, or as the working alliance—is the most important component of psychotherapy’s effectiveness,” Christopher Moyer, PhD and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin says. “And the same may also be true for massage therapy, though this is something that needs to be researched.”

The relationship you build with your massage therapist can help you progress through anxiety and depression more easily as you move as a team rather than alone.