How can massage therapy help children and adolescents living with pain and discomfort
• While strong evidence is available to back up the benefits of massage therapy in adults living with painful conditions and that has led to clinical recommendations being put in place, when it comes to youth populations, there is still more work to be done. The studies that have been conducted so far lack statistical significance, but they nevertheless show a great deal of promise. For instance, a small study evaluated 44 children and adolescents aged between 9 and 19 years old suffering from severe chronic pain. Massage therapy reportedly reduced pain by 33 % and tension by 44 %.
• At the same time, we all know there is a strong link between stress and the immune system’ s performance. When stress hormone are high they destroy healthy immune cells. Various massage techniques are specifically performed to target points throughout the body to promote relaxation and increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine. This can mean the world to many pediatric patients in need of relief and it better equips them to fight their condition.
• As far as the child’ s response to massage goes, the majority are receptive to the technique and can quickly experience a sense of happiness and mood improvement, often feeling asleep during the session. There is regardless important to acknowledge that because of past medical experiences and being unfamiliar with this type of touch, they might not know what to expect so naturally they might be reluctant or frightened. This is not abnormal.