When Children May Benefit From Regular Massage Therapy
Studies have shown that kids who have a regular massage are happier, healthier, and more social than kids who have never had a massage. It also helps athletic and special needs children to live up to their full potential, while helping premature newborns get a fighting chance at life. Regular massage helps kids stay happy and healthy from infancy to adulthood.
Stimulates Immunity
Kids with chronic illness such as cancer and cystic fibrosis, suffer stress and anxiety different than other kids. They are constantly going through medical procedures, hospitalizations, and missing school because they are sick. Stress and anxiety are common factors in kids who are chronically ill, although when the anxiety is helped, the child begins to heal.
Massage is a top treatment in helping anxiety and stress in chronically ill kids; in fact, it is offered in hospitals so kids can get a massage while waiting for their procedure. While it might not cure the disease, it will help with relief of the symptoms, stress and, in some cases, the pain.
Even healthy kids suffer stress and anxiety. Adults typically do not see this, but they do. When kids become too stressed, they get sick. Massage helps stress, therefore, it builds immunity.
Pain Relief
Kids show pain different than adults. They may not say their muscles are tight, but often they suffer the same pains as adults. These are referred to as "growing pains". As the body grows, the bones and muscles stretch, causing pain, sometimes excruciating pain. Regular massage helps reduce growing pains in kids of all ages by relaxing the growing muscles.
Massage is beneficial for kids who are involved in sports. Kids (and adults) who play sports are often given a massage before and after games and practices. These are called "pre-event" and "post event" massages and each one serves a different purpose. Most kids who suffer pain from sports will stop doing that sport, so it is important that they remain pain free while they play. If a child is injured during some activity, massage will help to promote physical healing. Physical therapists and doctors often include massage therapy into treatment plans for back, leg, and shoulder injuries in kids.
Social Aspect
Kids who are given regular massage are known to be happier and more relaxed throughout the day. Teachers report that students, who have massage focus better in school, make more friends and are generally more relaxed than students who do not. This makes them do better in school, get better grades and go on to become productive members of society.
Special Needs Kids
Kids who have special needs are often tense. They don't sleep well and they wear out themselves and their parents. It is not unusual for special needs kids to only get a couple hours of sleep at night and wake up ready to rule the world. Regular massage helps them to get a full night's sleep and be more rested and relaxed throughout the day. Since massage is known to reduce stress and pain, it also helps the special needs child to relax and sleep; which also allows the parents to relax and sleep.
In premature infants, the sense of touch is often a lifesaver. Many newborns that were born early are given light massage, after which their vitals improved and their immunity is helped. Massage helps improve circulation, which then helps all other aspects of the newborns vital organs. Their heart rate and breathing both improves, which greatly increases their chance of survival. While these preemies often have a low chance of survival, simple things like touch are often the gestures that save their young lives.
From infancy to adolescence, regular massage helps all kids remain relaxed and pain free. It helps them to become more active and social while helping them to focus and do well in school. Regular massage helps kids in all aspects of life and growing up, not just the physical pain.
Eugene Wood is a top Certified Massage Therapist in NYC and Wantagh NY.
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