Hayley Snishko launches Massage4MentalHealth campaign
With the aim of raising awareness of the benefits and results that massage therapy has on mental health, mobile therapist Hayley Snishko has launched Massage4MentalHealth.
Having been a massage therapist for over 14 years with thousands of hours of hands-on client experience, Snishko, who is the current holder of the Babtac Mobile Therapist of the Year 2022 award, feels she is perfectly placed to launch this major campaign supporting people suffering with their mental health.
Snishko said the topic is close to her heart due to both her own personal and professional experiences, adding, “I truly want to drive awareness for Massage4MentalHealth. I want to use my personal and professional experiences to maximum effect while I have the platform to do so.”
Not only is she hoping to support those suffering with mental health issues, but Snishko also hopes that the campaign will stop massage being overlooked as a form of treatment.
“I am determined that Massage4MentalHeath will raise the profile of massage, not only as a holistic therapy, but as a compelling treatment to people suffering with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
"I need to inform as many people as possible suffering with mental health of this alternative treatment, as well as educating other massage therapists and medical professionals that Massage4MentalHealth is a credible alternative,” she said.
This comes after a report last year found that massage therapy could reduce sick days in the UK by 1.76 million.
Several scientific studies, including Moyer, Rounds and Hannum, have investigated the effectiveness of massage therapy for treating mental health, with the general conclusions showing that statistically, massage therapy is clinically effective in the treatment of mental health.
Participants in studies who received a single massage treatment were more likely to experience a reduction in state of anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate than participants in comparison groups. There was also a significant reduction in trait anxiety and depression in patients who had received a course of massage treatments.