As our children grow older, they have to face many different problems in their lives. They have to start at a new school, take exams, deal with social issues, and a lot more. As a parent, it is our responsibility to support our children and help navigate the complexities of their lives.
Stress and anxiety in children are becoming very common; these days, kids are more likely to get stress and tension headaches; they are more prone to panic attacks and many other issues. Many children need to be on mind-altering medications like anti-anxiety pills or antidepressants before they even turn eighteen.
As parents, we should explore every avenue to keep our kids calm and composed. One of the most effective ways to comfort your kids is massage therapy. Even a simple massage at home can help your child in many ways. Today, I am going to tell you about four surprising ways in which you can use massage therapy to comfort your kids and help them stay calm. So, keep reading to learn more.
In This Article
Massage therapy can help reduce stress
Stress is a serious problem that can have significant adverse effects on the growth and nourishment of children. Moreover, it can have negative impacts on their personality as well. Unfortunately, stress is quite common among children.
According to a nationwide survey conducted by WebMD, around 72% of kids in the country show negative behaviors linked to stress, whereas 62% show physical symptoms. According to the survey, parents believe that school and social life are two significant instigators of stress in their children’s lives.
Stress is very detrimental to a child’s health, studies, and emotional growth; it can lead to many other mental disorders like anxiety and depression. Moreover, stress also damages the physical health of your kids.
However, stress can be counter quite effectively through massage therapy without any side effects. Simple massage around the neck, shoulders, and head can result in the release of stress-fighting hormones, and lower production of cortisol, which is a stress hormone.
Massage therapy can promote better sleep patterns
Insufficient sleep is a problem that many children have to deal with. Developing a steady and healthy sleep pattern can be especially difficult in babies, Proper sleep is essential for the growth of children and the healthy development of their minds. Moreover, sleep deprivation can cause stress, which leads to a whole plethora of problems, as mentioned previously.
However, sometimes, children can develop irregular sleep patterns because of illness or change in routine, which is unhealthy for the child, and very hard for the parents to manage. Infant massage is known to have many benefits, one of which is promoting better sleep.
Massaging your baby with calming oils like lavender can help reduce stress and anxiety and promote better sleep as well. However, make sure that you use deficient concentrations of essential oils because their scent can be quite intense for babies.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation and insomnia can also be a problem for adolescent kids and teenagers. You can help them sleep with massage as well. You can invest in a quality massage chair, which can be very useful in relaxing your kids and eliminating stress so that they can sleep better. Check out some online reviews to get more information on massage chairs.
Massage can help deal with injuries
When children are active and play outdoors, or participate in some sport, injuries are somewhat inevitable. These injuries can be very detrimental to your children in many ways.
Firstly, they can lead to pain, which causes your child discomfort, but above that, even small injuries can have significant mental impacts on children. Injuries can prevent children from playing their favorite sports, forcing them to stay at home, which can have a negative effect on their minds.
Massage therapy can be beneficial in treating injuries both in adults and children. Light and soothing massage around the affected area can increase the blood flow to it, which allows more nutrients and minerals to reach the injured area as well, promote faster healing and pain relief.
Apart from injuries, several diseases and disorders like multiple sclerosis in children can lead to painful spasms and severe discomfort. Massage therapy can also help in dealing with muscle spasms and muscle cramps.
Therefore, if your child, unfortunately, has an accident while playing, introduce massage therapy into their recovery as well, for faster healing, and reduced anxiety.
ADHD or attention deficit disorder is a problem that many kids are diagnosed with at an early age. These diseases can be very difficult to deal with, both for the kids and the parents. Moreover, the number of children with ADHD in the US has risen over recent years. According to statistics, around 11% of children in the US have ADHD.
Massage therapy can be quite helpful for parents who have children diagnosed with ADHD. It can improve the short term mood of your children and improve their behavior patterns as well.
Recently a study was conducted among adults with ADHD, the study was organized by the Pacific College of Oriental medicine study, and it was found the adults with ADHD, who had ten massage sessions over a period for two weeks, considered themselves to feel much better as compared to the control group who received recreation therapy. Furthermore, tutors analyzing the ADHD patients’ responses noted that the group who used massage therapy demonstrated a more on-task behavior in the classes.
Final thoughts:
Massage therapy has been used to treat many disorders for a long time, and several studies have also shown its medical benefits. Massage can be especially beneficial for children, and it can help parents comfort them. Massage therapy is an entirely natural treatment that doesn’t have any side effects of your kids, and it also promotes a closer and stronger relationship between you and your kids. Lastly, I hope that you find this post helpful and informative.
