Benefit of massaging children Benefit of massaging children Benefit of massaging children Benefit of massaging children Benefit of massaging children Benefit of massaging children
Massaging Children
All Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult during massage. I will teach you how to work with your child.
Childrens' & Young Adults' Health & Wellness:
Good
Posture
Pain Relief & Prevention (Headaches, Muscle Pain; Now and later)
Healthy, Injury Free participation in Sports, gymnastics and Dance.
Stress Reduction
Emotional stability
Strengthened immunity
Body Awareness
Self-Confidence
Self-esteem.
NOTE: "Unexplained
thigh and knee pain in children, even in infants, is
more frequently due to quadricepts femoris TrPs (trigger points) than is
generally realized. These youngsters with thigh and knee pain should be
examined for TrPs. " (Travell 6 Simons, Myofascial Pain & dysfunction:
The Trigger Point Manual, vol, 11.)
Baby massage, along with breastfeeding, is the most fulfilling form of nurturing you can give your child - with an added advantage: baby massage builds a bond of love and caring that both parents can experience.
Massage provides so many benefits. It aids digestion, relieves colic, eases tension, regulates breathing, and spurs growth. It offers your infant not just the comfort and stimulus of touch, but a full range of enriching sensual experiences... eye contact, a soothing voice, a familiar scent.
The Magic of Touch Massage has immense physiological benefits. It starts in the womb, where the baby is kept warm and nourished, and is massaged continually. At birth, placed on his mother's belly, he feels her warmth, hears the familiar heartbeat, finds the breast and suckles contentedly. Cuddled and caressed as an infant, his level of growth hormone increases and the myelin coating protecting his motor nerves thickens. Without the stimulus and self-reinforcement of touch and despite the release of growth hormone, he stops growing.
Massage improves the function of a baby's brain, heart and liver. It improves blood flow, strengthens gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, lessens symptoms of gas and colic, and reduces muscle tension. Massage especially benefits children with special needs. Premature babies, for example, who receive massage therapy show less stress, average 47% more weight gain per day, and are released from hospital an average of six days sooner. (Dr. Tiffany Fields, Touch Research Institute, Miami, FL)
The benefits of massage
don't end in infancy. Bulimia and other eating disorders suffered by adolescents
and young people can be countered with massage, providing them with comfort,
reassurance and a better self-image. Massage aids those suffering from
depression, anxiety, hypertension and poor sleep patterns. In old age, massage
counters the sense of loneliness and isolation, and can delay the onset of
senility.
Body Awareness:
Mind & body
have a reciprocal relationship. There can be effects in which the conditions of
the
body affect the mind & emotions. Likewise, there can be effects in which psychological or
emotional conditions affect the body. Change in one domain may cause change in the other. A
habit or fixed pattern in one may also impede change in the other & require special attention. Our
attitudes, behaviors, & beliefs have a direct effect on bodies. Our actions, habits, & postures have
a direct effect on our minds. Massage Therapy & Bodywork offers an opportunity for you to
develop mindful awareness of your body. One of the reasons that we don’t notice chronic
conditions, injuries or illnesses, developing in our bodies is that we do not tune in & listen to our
bodies on a regular basis. We listen mostly to our minds. Our bodies are always giving us signals
about what they like & don’t like about what is going on inside. Your body registers stress long
before the conscious mind. The ability to recognize how your body & mind react to physical &
emotional stressors in your life can be a powerful skill. The more we learn how to listen &interpret,
the more we naturally do what is healthy for us.
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