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Massage Therapy Health Article

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Precautions

Massage is comparatively safe; however, it should not be used if the child has one of the following conditions.

advanced heart disease
hypertension (high blood pressure)
phlebitis
thrombosis
embolism
kidney failure

If the child has cancer, massage is not advisable if the cancer is the kind that can spread to other organs (metastatic cancer) or if it involves tissue damage due to chemotherapy or other treatment. Massage may also not be advisable if the child has any of the following conditions.

a cold
an infectious disease
a contagious skin conditions
an acute inflammation
an infected injuries
an unhealed fractures
dislocations
is postoperative with a condition in which pain and muscular splinting are increased
has frostbite
has large hernias
has torn ligaments
has any condition prone to hemorrhage
has a psychosis
has any other psychological state that may impair communication or perception

Massage should not be used locally on affected areas (i.e., avoid using massage on the specific areas of the body that are affected by the condition) for the following conditions: eczema, goiter (thyroid dysfunction), and open skin lesions. Massage may be used on the areas of the body that are not affected by these conditions. The decision to use massage must be based on whether it may cause harm. A physician's recommendation is appropriate before a child with any health condition receives massage therapy.

Preparation

Going for a massage requires little in the way of preparation. Generally, one should be clean and should not eat just before a massage. Massage therapists generally work by appointment and usually provide information about how to prepare for an appointment. To receive the most benefit from a massage, parents should give the therapist accurate health information about the child and report discomfort of any kind (whether it is from the massage itself or due to the room temperature or any other distractions). The child can be encouraged to be as receptive to the process as possible.

Aftercare

There are no special recommendations for after a massage. A period of quiet activity or rest following the massage helps maintain full benefits from the procedure.

Risks

Massage therapy does not have notable side effects. Rather than feeling too relaxed or too mentally unfocused after a massage, a child may be both more relaxed and more alert.

Parental concerns

Parents who may not have experienced therapeutic massage themselves or who have doubts about its effectiveness may be interested in the results of research studies, particularly those conducted on groups of children. Well designed studies have documented the benefits of massage therapy for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, acute and chronic inflammation, chronic lymphedema, nausea, muscle spasm, various soft tissue dysfunctions, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and psychoemotional stress, which may aggravate mental illness.

KEY TERMS

Lymph—Clear, slightly yellow fluid carried by a network of thin tubes to every part of the body. Cells that fight infection are carried in the lymph.

Manipulation—Moving muscles or connective tissue to enhance function, ease tension, and reduce pain in those tissues as well as other beneficial effects.

Mind-body connection—Rather than relying on an understanding of the term "psychosomatic," mind-body medicine acknowledges the influence of thinking and the cognitive process on the behavior of chemicals in the body, involving the mind in both creating the conditions for disease and helping to heal the effects of disease.

Psychoses—Mental illness that interferes with an individual's ability to manage life's challenges and everyday activities. The impairment of cognitive ability that distorts reality.

Premature infants treated with daily massage therapy gain more weight and have shorter hospital stays than infants who are not massaged. A study of 40 low-birth-weight babies found that the 20 massaged babies had a 47 percent greater weight gain per day and stayed in the hospital an average of six fewer days than 20 infants who did not receive massage, resulting in a cost savings of approximately $3,000 per infant. Cocaine-exposed, preterm infants given massage three times daily for a 10-day period showed significant improvement. Results indicated that massaged infants had fewer postnatal complications and exhibited fewer stress behaviors during the 10-day period, had a 28 percent greater daily weight gain, and demonstrated more mature motor behaviors.

A study comparing 52 hospitalized depressed and adjustment disorder children and adolescents with a control group that viewed relaxation videotapes, found massage therapy subjects were less depressed and anxious and had lower saliva cortisol levels (an indicator of less depression).

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