Category Archives: Massage Benefits for Children

Teenagers, Sports and Massage

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I have some teenage clients that are into sports for school.  Sometimes they work out too hard and pull a muscle.  I have seen young people come in with a sore back or pulled hamstring.  Now these are strong young people who do not complain much but have been in pain for several weeks and it just doesn’t get better. 

If you are lifting weights for example, you would work your upper body one day and the next work your lower body so the upper has time to repair itself.  But in high school sports this process seems to get overlooked and the young people do not get the time to repair.

When this happens, the teenager has pain that is minimized until the parents step in and talk to the coach and sometimes have to ask to let them take some time off from practice.

Hopefully someone will think to add massage to the picture.  Usually one or two treatments will fix up the person so they can resume training.  Young people heal much more quickly than folks my age.  I like to recommend stretches and exercises to help the healing process.  I also like to discuss the ergonomics to see if there is a way not to get injured in the future.

Call Loveland Massage by Helena today at 970-218-7289 to schedule your teenagers massage. 

Truly yours,

Helena

Building Intimacy with Children Part 2

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I have a client that found out her ten year old son had been sexually molested.  She immediately removed him from the situation and got counseling, but the situation created a distance between her and her son which she did not know how to bridge.  She came to me to teach her to give massage to her son.

We got started on his back which is a very “safe touch area”, meaning no negative body memories usually.  I try to teach with humor and the low back and  gluteus maximus were next.  So I was explaining that the glutes are the largest muscle group in the human body and how much work they do and why we massage there.  I got him to laugh as we were practicing.  Then the legs and feet and turning over to work the front of the legs.  When working the front of the legs mom asked how high should we work.  I talked about how we don’t want to touch any one’s private areas by mistake so we start at the top center of the thigh and curve to the inside lower down.  I got him to laugh again and I felt that was a  great thing as I am sure he had some fear about this whole thing.

 We then finished with his arms, neck, shoulders and head.

Their drive home was filled with conversation that flowed in a way mom hadn’t remembered since before the incident.  Since then, they have built a trust and gotten much closer and the child feels much better about talking to his mom.  She feels like it really helped heal the relationship.

Call Loveland Massage by Helena today to help you learn how to touch your child in a safe and positive way.

Truly Yours,

Helena

Infant Massage and the Hummingbird

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I was asked to give infant massage instruction to a couple who lived in the Glenn Haven area.  The baby had difficulty sleeping, colic and gas.  I went up to their home two times to teach them how to do infant massage.   

We got started in the living room with the front door open and no screen door.  We had had the “lecture” and were working hands on with the child.  The mother of the child looked up and a hummingbird had flown into the house and was hovering over us watching.  I asked if they came in often and she replied they had never done so before.  We put it off to the hot pink shirt I had on.

The following week I returned in a black shirt and we proceeded with the lesson.  Again we looked up and that hummingbird was back hovering over us watching.  What a  joy to see the interest of that wonderful bird.

I looked hummingbirds up in a book about what different animals mean to the native American Indians.  They symbolize devotion, happiness and joy.  What a beautiful addition to the lesson.  We felt the baby was very special.

I love teaching infant massage.  It is a great way for fathers to bond with the child.  Massage improves sleep, gas, colic and digestion and reduces stress and tension.  Studies show massage improves growth and development.  Children who receive massage typically do better in school, concentrate better and have a sense of appropriate touch.  Providing massage regularly creates a special time for communication with your child. 

Schedule a time to learn infant massage at Loveland Massage by Helena today.  I would love to work with you.  These classes are great for parents, grandparents or care givers.

Truly yours,

Helena

Infant Massage Benefits

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Infant massage is just wonderful to teach to parents, grandparents, siblings and care givers.  Your baby will love it too. 

Benefits of  infant massage include; relief  from the discomfort of gas, colic, constipation and stress.  Massage will increase circulation, digestion, alertness, neurological development, immune function and release oxytocin, the nurturing hormone. 

Massage improves sleep and deepens bonding with parents or care givers.  This is a great way for dad to bond with his child. 

Preemies will gain weight faster and are typically released from the hospital sooner that their peers.

Massage will raise self esteem and teach a child a sense of appropriate touch.  It will increase communication between parent and child.

Massage studies show that infants gain weight faster, spend more time in active alert states and cry less often.  Massage shows greater improvement on emotionality, sociability and temperament levels.

All in all it is a great way to get to know your baby and learn how he/she communicates. 

Infant massage is easy to learn and a wonderful way to relax with your child. 

Call today to find out how you can learn this skill.  At Loveland Massage by Helena I take pride in teaching you loving touch.

Building Intimacy With Children

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I love to teach parents how to massage their children.  It is the best way I know to help open lines of communication between parents and children.  It teaches the child a sense of appropriate touch.  Children that have received massage from their parents from infancy are less likely to be molested because they know they can talk to their parents about anything.

When I teach parents how to massage their infants, they will learn about different strokes, what type of oil is appropriate and some of the benefits of massage.

Massage for infants is very helpful when the child has problems with colic and gas.  It teaches a sense of appropriate touch, builds self esteem and if parents do massage on a regular basis with their child, sets a time that is all about the child and the child learns they can talk to their parent about anything in that time.

Massage can relax a child who is upset and improve sleep patterns.  As the child grows and starts to get growing pains the parent will feel confident enough to help ease the pain for the child. 

In cases of disease in children, such as diabetes; massage builds a sense of self worth that can result in the child taking the prescribed diet to heart and taking better care of them selves.

Learn to massage your children today. Contact Loveland Massage by Helena for an appointment or free phone consultation today.

Yours truly,

Helena