Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an important practice in healthcare since it encompasses a number of wellness therapies used alongside conventional medicine and focuses on not just a single aspect of wellbeing but serves as a holistic approach to ensuring health and wellness (Croskerry, 2017). Massage therapy is one of such types of CAM commonly practiced to enhance individuals’ health and wellness alongside other pertinent benefits. This paper examines the effectiveness of massage as a healing therapy in relation to the impact it has on the cortisol and serotonin levels in the body, importance of specific articles that uses tangible outcomes and scientific methodology in the advancement of massage therapy including a review of their contribution to the study of CAM practices. Towards the end, there is an analysis of whether these articles have benefits or detractions from the therapy's use in contemporary wellness environments.
Effect of Massage therapy on cortisol and serotonin levels and its effectiveness
Massage as a healing therapy decreases the levels of cortisol in the bloodstream and increases the level of serotonin. These effects are among the expected outcomes of massage therapy, owing to their benefits in the body (Field, 2014). To begin with, cortisol is a potentially harmful hormone that leads to adverse effects such as impaired cognitive performance, imbalances ion blood sugar levels leading to hyperglycemia and other dangerous conditions, suppressed thyroid function, insulin resistance, reduced libido among other effects. On the other hand, increase in serotonin levels leads to proper regulation of moods and social behavior, enhancement of appetite, sleep, reduced levels of depression among other effects ( Zahn et al. 2015) . Because these are the ultimate goals of carrying out massage therapy, it can only be effective if there is a reduction in the level of cortisol and increase in the level of serotonin.
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Importance of specific articles that use tangible outcomes and scientific methodology in the advancement of massage therapy
Articles that use tangible outcomes and scientific methodology are based on the in-depth and wide research regarding the use and effectiveness of massage therapy. Such articles are written by renowned authors/researchers with relevant specialization and experience. In most cases, such articles are peer reviewed and the findings are consistent and have remained stable overtime after having been tested scientifically (systematically and practically) (Nicholas et al. 2015). Further, it is important to note that such articles offer additional knowledge and practical skills to be applied by health care specialists in their use of massage as a therapy to achieve the ultimate goals of massage therapy in the best way possible. It is thus important that before massage therapy can be administered, relevant specialists administering it should derive practical knowledge from such articles.
Contribution of valid articles to the study of CAM practices?
As already specified above, these articles are based on deep and wide research and therefore provides numerous principles to guide practical administration of CAM practices. In the study of CAM practices, it is not uncommon for both clients and specialists to have little information regarding the need for CAM practices, procedure of administering these practices, factors to consider while administering CAM and so forth. By reading these articles, all these uncertainties get answered and the outcome is that CAM will be discharged in an ideal manner free from side effects. In general, such valid articles enhance the effectiveness of CAM practices by increasing mastery of knowledge and skills for all those involved.
Personal Reflection and Opinion
Generally, the use of massage therapy is an effective way of enhancing the state of body and mind as well as contributing positively to the holistic wellbeing of individuals. Most articles are hinged on the positive effects of massage as a therapy and do not have visible negative effects. In this regard I can conclude that massage therapy is the best way to reduce cortisol hormone and increase serotonin hormone in the bloodstream for the general wellbeing. It is also regarded central practice in the use of CAM in health and wellness promotion. If applied in the contemporary wellness environments, massage therapy can be immensely impactful, considering the prevalence of conditions and diseases which it alleviates.
References
Croskerry, P. (2017). Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Diagnosis: interpreting the shadows/Pat Croskerry, Karen S. Cosby , 1 , 71.
Field, T. (2014). Massage therapy research review. Complementary therapies in clinical practice , 20 (4), 224-229.
Nicholas, D., Watkinson, A., Jamali, H. R., Herman, E., Tenopir, C., Volentine, R., ... & Levine, K. (2015). Peer review: Still king in the digital age. Learned Publishing , 28 (1), 15-21.
Zahn, D., Petrak, F., Franke, L., Hägele, A. K., Juckel, G., Lederbogen, F., ... & Herpertz, S. (2015). Cortisol, platelet serotonin content, and platelet activity in patients with major depression and type 2 diabetes: an exploratory investigation. Psychosomatic medicine , 77 (2), 145-155.
