Mothers are the best massage therapists for their own babies. The home is the baby’s very own massage spa. Here are some body massage therapy techniques for baby’s torso that mothers in Oldsmar, Trinity, Safety Harbor and Clearwater FL can learn and apply very easily. These are done with the baby’s torso unclothed in a warm room without draughts.
The most basic stroke for baby’s chest and back is called the open book. The mother puts her palms together with the thumbs near her and the pinky fingers on the baby’s side. The pinky fingers are placed on the baby’s skin and the palms are opened with the pinky fingers moving away from each other while the thumbs remain together. The opening movement continues until the thumbs of the mother are flush against the baby’s skin. The thumbs then separate and move away from each other, also sliding against the baby’s skin.
Mothers can start a massage session by using the open book stroke on the baby’s chest, by the ribcage. Her palms should end up smoothing the baby’s torso under the arms.
She should repeat the open book stroke on the chest, but with the palms moving up to the baby’s collar bones to his shoulders and down the tops of his arms.
The mother should then position her hand diagonally on her baby’s chest with her fingers pointing to one shoulder. She should smooth up her palm until it passes under her baby’s chin to the crease of the neck. She should then use her other hand to do the same toward her baby’s other shoulder.
Moving down the lower torso, the mother should draw an arch with the balls of two fingertips from the top of her baby’s right thigh upwards following the underside of his ribcage and down to the top of his left thigh. This direction is complementary to baby’s digestive system.
The stroke called “scooping the sand” describes the motion of the mother seeming to scoop sand out of her baby’s tummy under his ribcage. This is done five times with each of the mother’s hands. It is repeated with the mother’s other hand holding up the baby’s legs.
A variation of the arch follows, this time using all the balls on the fingertips of one of the mother’s hands. She traces a rainbow from the top of her baby’s right thigh upwards to a point below his belly button and down to the top of the left thigh. She then sweeps her fingers back through the same route to the right. The full cycle is done five times, with the mother taking care not to rub her baby’s skin in an irritating manner.
The mother then walks her fingers horizontally just above her baby’s belly button from right to left, then slides her fingers back to the right. This is done five times.
Finally, he mother puts her thumbs together and spreads both pals like a bird in flight. She should place her thumbs in the middle of her baby’s stomach with her fingers curved around his waist. Her thumbs should be just on top of her baby’s belly button. She should then slowly separate her thumbs and move them away from each other toward her baby’s sides.
Mothers can be the massage therapists for their babies but self-massage is not as relaxing. Mothers deserve to be pampered, too. They can go get Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy or sports massage therapy from any reputable massage spa in Oldsmar, Trinity, Safety Harbor and Clearwater FL. They will emerge refreshed and rejuvenated enough to be their best with their babies again.
The basic foundation of good health is a strong immune system. You can strengthen your immune system with body massage therapy inClearwater, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor and Trinity, FL. There are professional massage therapists to help you in well-appointed and reputable massage spas.
Scientific studies have established the beneficial effects of massage in boosting immunity. The most dramatic results can be seen in studies done among HIV positive patients.
As HIV worsens, the patients’ CD4+ cells decline. These are the immune system’s helper cells. HIV attaches itself to the CD4+ cells so that when CD4+ cells multiply to fight infection, HIV multiplies, too, and disarms the CD4+ cells. Immunity is, therefore compromised. The normal range of CD4+ cell counts should be 500 to 1,600 or an average of 1,000 per cubic millimeter of blood. In AIDS cases, the CD4+ count falls below 200.
Another helper cell of the immune system is the CD8+ cell or suppressor cell. There should be one CD8+ cell for every 1-2 CD4+ cells. In HIV patients, this ration decreases, too, as more helper cells are depleted.
Studies have, therefore, used cellular measures as the gauge for the effectiveness of massage in strengthening immunity. A study by Ironson et al in 1996 was participated in by 29 adult male HIV patients divided into two groups. The first group was given 45-minute massages from Monday to Friday for one month. The second group had no massage. After the month-long treatment, the massage group showed an increase in CD8+ cells, as well as in natural killer (NK) cells which are also crucial in fighting diseases.
A following study by Diego et al was participated in by 24 adolescent HIV patients. This time, the study covered three months. The massage group was given 20-minute chair massage sessions twice a week for those three months. The second group was given 20-minute relaxation therapy sessions twice a week for the same three months. After the treatment period, the massage group alone had increased CD4+ cells, improved CD4+-to-CD8+ ratio, and increased NK cells.
In 2000, a study by Birk et al showed that the frequency of massage is a major factor for producing positive outcomes in terms of immune boosting. Birk et al only gave their participants once a week massage sessions and showed no effects on immune system cell measures.
More positive results were shown by the study conducted by Shor-Posner et al among 24 HIV positive children aged two to eight years old in the Dominican Republic, with blood samples flown to a Miami laboratory for testing. The massage group was given 20-minute massage sessions twice a week for three months. The control group was given friendly visits by a nurse or therapist for 20 minutes twice a week for the same three months. After the treatment period, the massage group’s CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts increased while those of the control group decreased.
It is encouraging to note that massage could now be used as a weapon in fighting HIV, especially among children. It can be a very important weapon especially in areas that cannot afford expensive medication.
If massage can help the ravaged immune system of those afflicted with HIV, think of how much it can improve the health of those who do not have HIV.
Do yourself and your health a favor by strengthening your immune system. You can choose from a wide variety of body massage therapy services, including deep tissue massage, sports massage and Swedish massage, given by qualified massage therapists in the massage spas ofClearwater, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor and Trinity, FL. This is one prescription you’ll definitely enjoy.
Body massage therapy has been proven to have countless health benefits. It is said to help prevent and treat a host of illnesses and ease a variety of pains. A study has also proven the effectiveness of body massage therapy in easing post operative pain. This can be tested by post operative patients with the help of professional massage therapists from reputable massage spas in Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Trinity and Clearwater FL.
A study conducted in Indiana has shown that 20 minutes of hand massage and foot massage given one day after surgery has significantly lowered the patientsâ perception of their own pain intensity and distress. The same massage also lowered the patientsâ respiratory rates and heart rates.
The study entitled âFoot and Hand Massage as an Intervention for Postoperative Painâ was conducted by Hsiao-Lan Wang, R.N., and Juanita F. Keck, R.N.. They were both members of the staff of the Clarion Health Partners Methodist Hospital and Indiana University School of Nursing in Indianapolis, Indiana. The paper documenting the study was first published on pages 59-65 of the June 2004 issue of Pain Management Nursing, Vol. 5, No. 2.
The study covered 18 participants, all of whom were aged 20 or older. They had all undergone head surgery, neck surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, urological surgery, gynecological surgery or plastic surgery. They agreed to participate in the study which was done the day after their surgery.
The participants all reported pain, especially from their surgical wound, a day after their surgery and had asked for medication to relieve the pain. After the medicine was given, the participants were asked to rate the percentage of pain relief from the medication. They were asked to measure it on a scale, with 0 percent meaning having no relief to 100 percent meaning complete relief.
One to four hours after the pain medication was given, the same patients were given body massage therapy. Before the massage session started, though, they were again asked to measure their own perceived pain intensity and perceived distress. They were asked to use a scale again, this time with 0 representing no pain and no distress, to 10 representing pain and distress that is as bad as they could imagine. Their blood pressure, respiratory rate and heart rate were also measured.
The same therapist administered a total of 20 minutes of hand massage and foot massage to each of the 18 participants. Each hand and each foot was given five minutes of kneading, friction and petrissage.
Immediately after the massage session, each participant was again asked to measure his or her own perceived pain intensity and perceived distress using the same scale as before. His or her blood pressure, respiratory rate and heart rate were again measured. Furthermore, each participant was asked to again rate the percentage of pain relief, this time from the massage session. The same pain relief scale was used, with 0 percent meaning having no relief to 100 percent meaning complete relief.
Findings showed that after the 20 minute massage, the patientsâ perceived pain intensity and perceived distress were reduced, and their percentage of pain relief were increased. There was also a significant decrease in the respiratory rate and heart rate, although there was no decrease in blood pressure.
According to the researchers, âThe findings from the study indicated that a 20-minute foot and hand massage significantly reduced both pain intensity and distress resulting from incisional pain on the first postoperative day. Foot and hand massage appears to be an effective, inexpensive, low-risk, flexible, easily applied strategy for postoperative pain management.â
Long after they have recovered from post operative pain, patients can still avail of various modalities of body massage therapy for continuous health conditioning. Some of these modalities are deep tissue massage therapy, Swedish massage therapy and sports massage therapy. Highly trained massage therapists from the best massage spas in Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Trinity and Clearwater FL can continue to assist the patients with their long term health concerns.
Holistic body massage therapy promotes wellness by balancing the body, mind and spirit. You can learn to do some body massage strokes on your loved ones at home and then get the full deal from professional body massage therapists at reputable massage therapy spas in Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Trinity and Clearwater, FL.
Sara Thomas and Lucy Lidell share their home massage tips in the article “Holistic Massage” at PositiveHealth.com. Sara Thomas is the president of the Massage Training Institute in London, the author of Massage for Common Ailments from Gaia Books, and co-author of The Book of Massage from Ebury Press. Lucy Lidell is a massage therapist and healer trained in various massage and body therapy modalities, healing, dreamwork and yoga, and specializes in helping clients work through emotional problems. She is the author of The Sensual Body from Unwin Hyman, and is co-author of The Book of Massage and The Book of Yoga from Ebury Press.
According to Thomas and Lidell, holistic massage has profound emotional and spiritual effects, creating trust and optimism and nurturing self-acceptance and body awareness. When receiving massage, one is able to let go and reach a deeper connection with one’s self. The authors believe that massage can even create a state of expanded awareness and consciousness. They, therefore, recommend learning basic massage strokes for use in the home as a complement to professional massage therapy sessions.
For headache, smooth soothing strokes can be made on the forehead down to the muscles of the jaw. The fingers can make small circles on the temples. The finger pads can also be used to massage the scalp. This will help release tension and pain. Tension can be released by massaging the back of the neck and the shoulders.
When someone has neck aches and shoulder aches, the muscles at the top of the shoulders can be squeezed with the hands, from the neck outwards. The base of the skull can be pressed with the thumbs and the back of the neck can be kneaded and stroked. The areas between shoulder blades on both sides of the spine can also be massaged with circular strokes of the thumbs.
For backache, the muscles on both sides of the spine can be massaged with long smooth strokes. The palms can then make circular strokes outward from the spine and then over the sacrum or the base of the spine. For particularly tense areas, the thumbs can be used to make smaller circles with deeper pressure.
For leg ache, the long smooth strokes can be made from the ankles toward the tops of the thighs and down, with more pressure on the upward strokes and lighter pressure on the downward strokes. Rhythmic strokes can then be used, alternating your hands on each leg. This will break up and drain lactic acid built up from strenuous activity.
For leg cramps, assist the person in stretching the leg. Knead the cramped muscles to loosen them and release tension. Once the person is able to stand, assist him or her in walking. This will help restore proper blood circulation to the leg.
For menstrual cramps, the palms can make slow circular strokes over the sacrum and the lower back. This may be complemented with slow light strokes over the lower abdomen.
It’s good to exchange body massage services with your loved ones at home, but getting full body massage from professional massage therapists is still the best thing you can do for yourself. Professional body massage therapists offer Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy and sports massage therapy at body massage therapy spas in Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Trinity and Clearwater, FL. Surrender your body, mind and spirit to a blissful holistic experience.
