Massage Therapy Benefits for Children

12 Oct 2022

Adults aren’t the only ones to benefit from regular massage therapy. It doesn’t usually cross the minds of parents, but children (infant to teen) can gain immense benefit to their physical and mental wellbeing with regular massage therapy treatments! You may be wondering why a child would need a massage or how they would actually benefit from it. We think children are young, limber and stress free, but that is not always the case! In this short blog, I will discuss why massage therapy is beneficial for children and why you should bring your children in to see me!

Common Physical and Emotional Stressors for Children

I, myself, am a mother of 3 young adults and have witnessed the many stressors (emotional and physical) that my children deal with: 

 -Social pressures, peer pressure, family pressure that contributed to increased stress, anxiety and depression

 -Decreased quality of sleep

 -Moodiness

 -Constipation

 -Headaches

 -Sports injuries

 -Neck and back pain due to excessive use of devices, heavy backpacks and postural misalignments

 -Growing pains

 -Concentration and academic struggles with ADD/STMD

What we found to be relieving – you guessed it – MASSAGE THERAPY!

Positive Benefits of Massage Therapy for Children

Parents, I cannot express to you enough the positive benefits massage may have on your Childs’ physical and mental health:

-Improved sleep quality

-Improved mood (happier kids is a win-win!!)

-Decreased stress/anxiety and depression

-Injury prevention and improved sports performance

-Improved digestion

-Improved concentration/task focus

-Decreased post physical activity muscle soreness

Yes, massage is a powerful addition to the standard care of our children. It may contribute enormously to their health and happiness! 

What does a Massage Therapy Treatment look like for Children?

Of utmost importance is my responsibility to create a supportive and safe space for your child(ren); a place where they will learn healthy touch concepts, and the freedom to express their wants/needs. 

Unlike most adults, who are comfortable being undressed for their massage, I recommend that young children be dressed in shorts and t-shirt/tank top/sports top; and for teens, whatever they are comfortable with. In either case, only the areas that I will be working on will be uncovered while the rest of their body is under the sheet. 

As for timing, generally young children (5 – 10 yrs old) are comfortable with a 30 minute session, while older children and teens find 45 – 60 minutes adequate.  

I do encourage parents to be present during the initial treatment planning and remain in the room for the duration of the session. Some children may change their mind about receiving massage therapy when they arrive however, or decide they don’t want to have their parent in the room during their treatment…..THAT’S OK. It’s important that they feel supported and understood. 

Conclusion

If you are curious about massage therapy for your child(ren)/teen, I encourage you to chat with me during your next visit with me at Natural Choice Medical Clinic or send me an email with your questions to info@naturalchoicemedicalclinic.com.

Together, we can discuss how this may be the right therapy that’s comfortable for both you and your child. 

I look forward to meeting the young ones in your lives and helping to foster  healthy development in the extraordinary human beings that they are! 

Click here to book an appointment!

Tamara Wight, Registered Massage Therapist