As a parent (and a massage therapist), I often get asked about our son’s experience with holistic manual therapies such as chiropractic, reiki, massage and yoga. During these conversations, I am passionate about sharing the mental, physical and emotional benefits our kiddo has experienced. I want to take a minute and share my perspective as both a parent and a professional and explore if it might benefit your kiddo(s).
Sports & Athletics - Our young athletes can, and often do, experience the same repetitive stress injuries as adults. Learning to manage soft tissue injuries from a young age can encourage recovery, prevention and provide them with life-long options for self-care. Working with manual therapists also provides them with tools to assist in maintaining their physical health with additional strategies such as stretching or strengthening activities.
Therapeutic Touch & Self-Esteem - As humans we are wired for connection and touch, it is part of a healthy supportive development process. When a child receives a massage, it can help them learn about appropriate therapeutic touch. The treatment also empowers the child to have healthy boundaries around their bodies while they are in complete control of their massage - they have a voice in what areas of their body is treated, if the lights are on or off, choice of music, depth of pressure, and anything else that comes up with the individual child. This provides them an opportunity to communicate what they do or do not want, a great skill to develop early on.
Mindfulness - our youth are growing up in a fast paced world! Massage is an opportunity for them to unplug from all technology and recharge, encouraging relaxation for their mind and body during a treatment. Massage and other bodywork modalities can encourage the mind-body connection, allowing your child to have improved awareness around their bodies and when they are tense, tired, or sore. This also nourishes the nervous system, accessing “rest & digest” during the treatment - and often afterwards too!
Stress & Anxiety - we often associate these things to adults, but the truth is our youth experience peer pressure, bullying, social anxiety, academic pressures and everything else in between. Massage is an opportunity to reduce stress, increase relaxation, improve focus, concentration and quality of sleep.
Aches & Pains - Your child will likely experience growing pains, injuries (from play or sport), headaches, and possible postural discomforts from sitting behind a computer or on a tablet/cell phone. Just like adults, your child may benefit from a massage to work on the soft tissues providing relief for tense or stressed muscles.
In today’s hectic and busy lifestyle, a massage can be a great option for your child to slow down and benefit their mental, physical and emotional health. The typical session length is 30 minutes to start, and the parent (or another family member) is always welcome to join to ensure the child feels comfortable and supported. As always, if you have any questions let’s connect.
Cheers, Shanda
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