Benefits of Massage for Children
Researchers at the Touch Research Institutes have completed controlled clinical studies on a number of special populations of infants and children. Results included come from the Touch Research Institute and other Study groups. All references below.
Autism: Autistic children, who usually don't like being touched, show less autistic behavior and are more social and attentive after receiving massage therapy from their parents.
Asthma: Asthmatic children: demonstrated an enhanced ability (in volume and flow rate) to exhale, compared with children who were not massaged.
Atopic dermatitis/Eczema : Children with this scaly, itchy skin problem seem to experience less redness, scaling, and other symptoms if receiving massage between flares. Massage should not be used when this skin condition is actively inflamed.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Massage may improve mood in children with ADHD and help them feel less fidgety and hyperactive.
Bulimia: Studies have shown that adolescents with this eating disorder feel less depressed and anxious after receiving massage therapy.
Cystic fibrosis: Massage may reduce anxiety and improve respiration in children with this lung condition.
Diabetes: Massage may help regulate blood sugar levels and reduce anxiety and depression in children with diabetes. There was also notable improvement with compliance with insulin and food regulation, compared with children who were not massaged. Average blood glucose levels among the massaged children dropped from 159 on the first day of the study to 118 on the last day.
HIV: In a small study, teenagers with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) showed improved immune function and diminished feelings of depression and anxiety after receiving two massages per week for 12 weeks.
Rheumatoid arthritis: Children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) have been shown to experience less pain, morning stiffness, and anxiety as a result of massage therapy.
More on ADHD
Massage for ADHD Two recent studies conducted by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami reported that regular massage therapy can be an effective treatment for kids with ADHD. One study found adolescent boys who received ten 15-minute daily massages were observed by their teachers to be more focused in their schoolwork, and they fidgeted less. In addition, the children rated themselves as happier than those who participated in a relaxation therapy program. Another study involved kids aged 7-18, 20 percent of whom were girls. Each subject received a 20-minute massage twice a week. They showed immediate improvement in their moods and longer-term behavioral improvement in the classroom. They also reported feeling happier and their teachers found them to be more attentive. In adult studies, massage has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, helping to mitigate the active fight-or-flight response. Massage also helps improve math computation performance and raises alertness levels, as measured on electroencephalograms (EEGs). Finally, massage decreases depression and increases mental focus. The same effects are seen in children and teenagers with ADHD.
Massage therapy improves mood and behavior of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderAdolescence, Winter, 2003 by Sonya Khilnani, Tiffany Field, Maria Hernandez-Reif, Saul Schanberg
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most recent diagnostic label for children and adolescents who present with attention, impulse control, and overactivity problems. Children and adolescents with ADHD are commonly referred to family physicians, pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, and child psychiatrists and psychologists.
ADHD not only has a financial impact, but also is associated with family stress, school disruption, and risk for criminality and substance abuse. School-age youths with ADHD and co-occurring psychopathology have inferior academic performance and poorer social, emotional, and adaptive functioning than their peers (Wilens, Biederman, Brown, Tanguay, Monuteaux, Blake, & Spencer, 2002).
More on Autism
J Autism Dev Disord. 2001 Oct;31(5):513-6.Brief report: improvements in the behavior of children with autism following massage therapy.
Escalona A, Field T, Singer-Strunck R, Cullen C, Hartshorn K.
Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101, USA.
Twenty children with autism, ages 3 to 6 years, were randomly assigned to massage therapy and reading attention control groups. Parents in the massage therapy group were trained by a massage therapist to massage their children for 15 minutes prior to bedtime every night for 1 month and the parents of the attention control group read Dr. Seuss stories to their children on the same time schedule. Conners Teacher and Parent scales, classroom and playground observations, and sleep diaries were used to assess the effects of therapy on various behaviors, including hyperactivity, stereotypical and off-task behavior, and sleep problems. Results suggested that the children in the massage group exhibited less stereotypic behavior and showed more on-task and social relatedness behavior during play observations at school, and they experienced fewer sleep problems at home.
Massage Today
Shirley Vanderbilt
February, 2005, Vol. 05, Issue 02
Researchers from the United Kingdom, in a study published in 2002, used a similar format to that of the TRI parent study. In this trial, a group of parents with autistic children was trained to administer touch therapy to their children. When interviewed prior to the program, the parents (primarily mothers) reported feeling "hurt in response to the aloof nature of autism" and also felt hindered in their spontaneous parenting instincts, such as cuddling. The Touch Therapy project, which included 12 children, was conducted for an eight-week period.
Not only did the children accept their parents' touch, parents also reported more cooperative behavior with daily tasks such as dressing and a higher level of relaxation in their children overall. At the conclusion, the study team noted, "Parents reported feeling closer to their children and felt that the touch therapy had opened a communication channel between themselves and their children."
These are exciting results, given the tremendous challenge autism presents to both parents and teachers. Autism, as we now know it, is incurable and the behaviors associated with the disorder are pervasive throughout the individual's lifetime. One of the most heartbreaking aspects of this disorder is the block in communication between parent and child. The most basic of intimate human interactions -- hugs, words of love and facial responses of pleasure -- typically do not emanate from an autistic child. Recent research has debunked the long-held belief that autistic children are incapable of forming attachment. We now know they do attach to their parents and show a preference for interaction with their family. But they remain incapable of acting on that attachment or responding appropriately to the interaction. The results of these studies show promise that massage and other touch therapies will emerge as a building block in bridging that gap.
Autism and Treatment With Therapeutic Massage
By Michael Regina-Whiteley
An accepted and innovative treatment available for children and adults with autism is therapeutic massage with consistent, safe, nurturing touch, and regular sensory integration. It is now being utilized by therapists and taught to parents around the country.
Autism, also known as Kanner's Syndrome, refers to a condition that is one of several of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). It is characterized by early onset of a lack of attachment, the failure to cuddle as an infant, and an almost complete disassociation with the environment. Children and adults display varying degrees of tactile (Fr. Tangere, to touch) defensive, (attitude or position of defending against attack) behaviors. A person who withdraws when touched, displays aggressive behaviors, or even refuses to eat certain foods because of their textures manifests this dysfunction of the tactile system.
"Theoretically, when the tactile system is immature and working improperly, abnormal neural signals are sent to the cortex in the brain which can interfere with other brain processes. This type of over-stimulation in the brain can make it difficult for an individual to organize one's behavior and concentrate and may lead to a negative emotional response to touch sensations."1
It is the lighter touch that is over-stimulating to these individuals; therefore, deeper massage techniques, as well as joint compression, are in order. Symptoms include poor language skills, distractibility, hyperactivity, and the inability to accept changes in their environment, which may result in frustration, aggression, or complete withdrawal.
References and website links
Hatch-Rasmussen, Cindy, M.A., OTR/L. "Sensory Integration." Therapy Northwest, Beaverton, OR.
Edelson, Stephen. "Allergies and Food Sensitivities." Center for the Study of Autism, Salem, OR.
1. Ostrov, Barbara Feder. "Alarming rise in autism in state is genuine, researchers conclude," Mercury News. www.bayarea.com/mid/mercurynews/news/4312756.thm.
2. "Autism rise blamed on environment," BBC News, 29 August, 2002, http//:news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/
programmes/newsnight/2224126.stm.
3. Field, T., Lasko, D., Mundy, P., Henteleff, T., Kabat, S., Talpins, S. and Dowling, M., "Brief Report: Autistic Children's Attentiveness and Responsivity Improve After Touch Therapy," Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27, 3 (1997): 333.
4. Rimland, Bernard and Baker, Sidney, "Brief Report: Alternative Approaches to the Development of Effective Treatments for Autism," Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 2 (1996): 237-238.
5. Field, 333.
6. Ibid., 334-336.
7. Ibid., 336.
8. Ibid., 334-335.
9. Ibid., 336-338.
10. Escalona, A., Field, T., Singer-Strunck, R., Cullen, C. and Hartshorn, K., "Brief Report: Improvements in the Behavior of Children With Autism Following Massage Therapy," Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 5 (2001): 513.
11. Ibid., 514.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid., 515.
15. Cullen, L. and Barlow, J., "'Kiss, cuddle, squeeze': The experiences and meaning of touch among parents of children with autism attending a Touch Therapy Programme," Journal of Child Health Care 6, 3 (Sept. 2002): 171-181.
http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_152_38/ai_n6005504
Excerpts taken from http://www.massagetoday.com
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/massage-000354.htm
http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/59
http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/929
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