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Touchstone Bodyworks
Healing Arts Center
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Pediatric Alternative Therapies
Supporting Studies
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Psychiatric Patients (Child and Adolescent) : Following five 30-minute massages these children/ adolescents had better sleep patterns, lower depression and anxiety and lower stress hormone levels (cortisol and norepinephrine).
Field, T., Morrow, C., Valdeon, C., Larson, S., Kuhn, C., & Schanberg, S. (1992).Massage therapy reduces anxiety in child and adolescent psychiatric patients. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 125-130.http://www.miami.edu/touch-research/
Massage therapy and stress and anxiety in children
A study conducted at University of Miami Medical School, Florida, USA, revealed that massage may offer considerable help for children suffering from stress-related disorders. A 30-minute back massage was given daily for a 5-day period to 52 children who were hospitalized as suffering from depression and adjustment disorders. Subjective assessments were made by the children themselves and by the nurses based upon perceived anxiety levels, sleep patterns and the willingness of the child to be co-operative. Objective analyses were also made by analysing stress hormone levels in the both the urine and saliva. The results were then compared to a control group who were shown relaxing videotapes for 30 minutes instead of massage therapy.
The results of the study revealed that the children receiving a 30 minute massage were less depressed or anxious and had lower saliva cortisol levels after the massage. In addition, nurses rated the massage group as being more co-operative on the last day of the study, and noted that the children were sleeping better than the children in the control group and that their night-time sleep had increased over the 5 day period. Massage therapy also had the effect of reducing urinary cortisol and norepinephrine levels in the children suffering from depression which was not observed in any of the children in the control group.
The researchers were left in no doubt that massage therapy offers real benefits for children suffering from stress and anxiety.
Field T; Morrow C; Valdeon C; Larson S; Kuhn C; Schanberg S. Massage reduces anxiety in child and adolescent psychiatric patients. Journal of the American Acadamy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry (UNITED STATES) Jan 1992, 31 (1) p125-31
http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Therapies/MassageTherapy-Research.htm#Massage%20therapy%20and%20%20stress%20and%20anxiety%20in%20children
Behavior Problem Children: Preschool children with behavior problems who received massage are showed more on-task behavior, less solitary play, and less aggression.
Escalona, A., Field, T., Cullen, C., Hartshorn, K., & Cruz, C. (In Review). Behavior problem preschool children benefit from massage therapy. Early Child Development and Care.
http://www.miami.edu/touch-research/
Adolescents with ADHD rated themselves as happier and were observed to fidget less after massage sessions. Also, teachers rated children receiving massage as less hyperactive and as spending more time on-task.
Field, T., Quintino, O. & Hernandez-Reif, M., & Koslovsky, G. (1998). Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder benefit from massage therapy. Adolescence, 33, 103-108.
Children with ADHD showed more on-task behavior in the classroom and were rated as less hyperactive by their teachers following one month of twice weekly massages.
Abrams, S., Field, T., & Hernandez-Reif, M. (In Review). ADHD symptoms in children are decreased following massage therapy. Khilnani, S., Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., and Shanberg, S. (2004).Massage therapy improves mood and behavior of students with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder,Adolescence, 152, 623-638.
http://www.miami.edu/touch-research/
SEE http://www.massagemag.com/2003/issue101/research101.3.htm
Aggressive Adolescents: Following a month of 2 chair massages per week the adolescents became less aggressive.
Diego, M., Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Shaw, J., Rothe, E., Castellanos, D., & Mesner, L. (2002).
Aggressive adolescents benefit from massage therapy. Adolescence, 37, 597-607.
http://www.miami.edu/touch-research/
SEE http://www.massagemag.com/2003/issue103/research103.htm
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Web site and all other original contents copyright © 2007
Tammy McGrath
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