Massage Benefits for
Special Needs
I have been practicing pediatric occupational therapy for over 8 years. Within these past 8 years I have received extensive training in various treatment techniques to optimize development in children experiencing challenges with development. I have never experienced such positive results as I did when I started adding massage to the beginning of the treatment session.
Five years ago, I started massaging my patients for the first 20 minutes of the treatment session and the results were astonishing! Progress towards goals such as crawling, eating, reaching and grasping, sitting up and rolling was clinically measurable within the first 2-3 treatment sessions. Previously, it would take months to obtain such results.
Why such a dramatic improvement in the outcomes of the child's progress? It's easy. Massage has been proven to increase the development of the myelin sheath around a nerve. This myelin sheath allows for nerves to fire and muscles to move in a smooth coordinated fashion. Additionally, massage assists the nervous system to be integrated and organized while simultaneously calming the infant/child so they may be alert and ready to learn.
Many infants and children with developmental challenges have experienced trauma during or after birth with extended hospital stays, blood work, muscle biopsy, genetic testing, MRI, CT scan, being intubated or fed through a tube and a series of long medical appointments with several different doctors.
So when we look at "touch" from their perspective, it has been a negative experience. Thus, instead of alert and playful, many times the infant or child may be understandably fussy and defensive, and this inhibits their ability to benefit and learn during a treatment session. This further slows down achievement towards developmental milestones.
The massage, which is adapted to the child's ability to tolerate touch, allows them to experience touch in a positive way while the child learns that therapy is not going to "hurt." This experience for the infant or child builds trust with the therapist and parent, and allows the child to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the massage and work towards achieving developmental milestones.