Using Massage Therapy as a Tool to Treat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in Jacksonville, FL

A massage feels good, but can it help your mental health?

According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage therapy can reduce stress or anxiety, improve mood, and reduce depression. Can it also help with seasonal affective disorder? Let's read on and find out then look find a qualified massage therapist in Jacksonville, Florida.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Sometimes called the "winter blues," seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that happens during certain seasons of the year. It typically hits during the fall and winter and is believed to be triggered by shorter days and less daylight. It's rare in children and tends to affect women more than men. It may also be connected to over-production of melatonin.

Even in hot climates, the relatively shorter days can trigger depression. In hot climates, too, you can get a different form of seasonal affective depression, called summer-pattern SAD. Instead of experiencing depression when the days become shorter and colder, people with summer-pattern SAD are affected by exceptionally hot temperatures and long hours of sunlight. Summer-pattern SAD is not as well understood, but it might be in part caused by lower levels of melatonin creating insomnia.

People in Jacksonville, Florida are at higher risk of summer-pattern SAD than those in cooler climates, but can still experience classic winter SAD.

How Does Massage Benefit SAD and Other Mental Health Concerns?

Massage doesn't just feel good. It also produces genuine physiological and psychological changes.

Massage can:

• Help you relax and take your mind off your problems
• Increase neurotransmitters associated with lowering anxiety
• Decrease hormones associated with increasing anxiety
• Decrease heart rate and blood pressure
• Reduce depression and improve mood
• Increase heart rate variability, which is associated with relaxation
• Reduce stress

Massage is thus useful as part of a treatment for both forms of SAD, but especially for summer-pattern SAD, which has few other treatments. It isn't a cure and should be combined with other treatments, such as light therapy and vitamin D supplementation for winter SAD and improved sleep hygiene for summer SAD. It also has the benefit of not having significant side effects, unlike pharmaceutical treatments for depression and anxiety.

Regular massage therapy, combined with other treatments, can help you deal with all forms of depression. Another advantage is that it gets you out of the house and going somewhere, which is always helpful if you are feeling down.

What Types of Massages at the Wellness Hub Can Help?

The Wellness Hub is a holistic healing and organic spa in Jacksonville, Florida. We offer a variety of massage treatments, but two are particularly good choices for seasonal affective disorder:

Classic Relaxation Massage

Our classic massage is a great option for new clients. You will get a relaxation massage that includes hot stones and hot towel treatment and, if you want, and aromatherapy tailored to your needs and preferences. Lavender oil is particularly good for both depression and anxiety and can help you sleep. We offer sessions for 60, 90, and 120 minutes with one of our trained massage therapists, and we guarantee you will receive the full-time you booked.

Reiki Healing

We also offer reiki in Jacksonville, FL. Reiki is a Japanese energy healing technique that dates back to the early 1900s. It involves a light touch over your body or just above your body to help redirect your body's life force. Reiki has been shown to improve mood, encourage restful sleep, and increase energy levels.

You can also book a combined reiki and massage session.

If you experience depression in the winter (or the summer) consider booking a massage session at The Wellness Hub. Our trained massage therapists will help your mood and energy levels and get you out of your "blues" and back to your normal life.

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We are pleased to serve the following Florida communities with massage therapy, chiropractic, organic skincare, acupuncture, red light therapy and more: Jacksonville, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Mandarin, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St Johns, Ponte Vedra and more.
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Call Us (904) 512-7551
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