Massage and depression

Researchers from I-Shou university in Taiwan have been reviewing studies into the effectiveness of massage in treating depression. They looked at 17 studies, covering a total of 786 people. In 13 of the studies massage was compared to another treatment such as Chinese herbs, relaxation or rest while in the other four studies massage was compared to not being treated at all. Overall the studies found that massage had 'potentially significant' effects in alleviating the symptoms of depression. This could be because of the relaxing effects of the massage, the bond built up between a masseur and their client or massage causing the body to release the 'trust' hormone oxytocin.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62T4AK20100330?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews