Why Pediatric Massage?
Babies and children simply love to be touched. In fact, they thrive on it and it is a crucial part of their development. Children need physical contact for healthy growth and development. Nurturing touch promotes physiological, neurological and psychological development and function.
Healthy children receive the benefits of touch from many sources, but just as with adults, the symptoms of physical and emotional stress can often be
alleviated by massage therapy from a trained professional. Some of these can include
‣ strenuous athletics or exercise
‣ physical pain from injury or medical treatment
‣ family difficulties, including death, divorce, or moving
‣ difficulties in school, either academic or social
‣ natural disasters or other traumatizing events
Sadly, not all children receive the basic, necessary touch in their everyday lives. This can sometimes happen when children
‣ live in an institutional environment (hospital, nursing home, orphanage)
‣ have a medical condition that makes people afraid to touch them (legitimate or imagined)
‣ have a condition that makes untrained touch dangerous
‣ have been neglected or abused at home
‣ have a condition that makes them averse to touch
As you can see, a wide variety of children can benefit from massage, from all-star athletes to premature infants to teen runaways. Pain, anxiety, loneliness, and fear are not unique to adults, so it only makes sense that those who serve children, including families, medical facilities, and nonprofit organizations, are looking to pediatric massage as a source of relief.
Tina Allen for www.amtamassage.org
