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Helping Children Find Focus

Cathy Ulrich

Imagine lying on a massage table. As your massage therapist sets to work, you feel your body relax. Your muscles soften, your nervous system calms. Now, imagine how you feel when the massage is over–relaxed, alert, calm, and content.

Anyone who has gotten a massage understands the many benefits that it offers. Massage is usually reserved for adults–or sometimes infants–but what about massage for kids and adolescents? If massage helps calm the body and improve alertness, how might it help kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Can children and teenagers who can’t sit still benefit from massage?

Understanding ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is rapidly rising as the most common psychiatric diagnostic label for children. Anywhere from 3-7 percent of all school-age children and adolescents may have it, and it is one of the primary causes of behavioral problems in general pediatric settings. Nine boys are diagnosed with ADHD for every girl, but the rate of diagnosis for girls has been rising as well, and girls who are diagnosed have the same level of impairment as boys.

Kids with ADHD show difficulty holding attention and display impulsive behaviors and overactivity levels beyond what might be expected for their age group. They typically show poorer academic performance, have difficulty in social settings, and can’t adapt as well emotionally as kids without ADHD. Studies show that a diagnosis of ADHD puts kids at higher risk for delinquent behaviors and substance abuse. Other diagnoses such as learning disabilities, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders are often seen in the same children.

Medical Treatments

Now a household name, the drug Ritalin is the most common medication prescribed for children diagnosed with ADHD. In fact, it’s the most common drug prescribed for any childhood disorder. It’s been estimated that more than five million school-age children take Ritalin annually.

Known to stimulate areas of the brain associated with attention, arousal, and inhibition, Ritalin seems to help improve ADHD symptoms in about 75 percent of cases, but its effects last only as long as it’s taken, and it does produce side-effects. Nervousness, headaches, sleeplessness, and rapid heart rate are sometimes seen with its use, and overdose can produce severe effects such as agitation, hallucinations, high blood pressure, seizures, heart arrhythmias, and psychosis. In addition, studies are only now being conducted on long-term effects.

Ritalin, as well as other psychostimulant drugs, can be effective in improving attention span and modifying behaviors associated with ADHD, but kids need to be monitored carefully for side effects and appropriate dosage.

Massage for ADHD

Two recent studies conducted by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami reported that regular massage therapy can be an effective treatment for kids with ADHD. One study found adolescent boys who received ten 15-minute daily massages were observed by their teachers to be more focused in their schoolwork, and they fidgeted less. In addition, the children rated themselves as happier than those who participated in a relaxation therapy program.

Another study involved kids aged 7-18, 20 percent of whom were girls. Each subject received a 20-minute massage twice a week. They showed immediate improvement in their moods and longer-term behavioral improvement in the classroom. They also reported feeling happier and their teachers found them to be more attentive.

In adult studies, massage has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, helping to mitigate the active fight-or-flight response. Massage also helps improve math computation performance and raises alertness levels, as measured on electroencephalograms (EEGs). Finally, massage decreases depression and increases mental focus. The same effects are seen in children and teenagers with ADHD.

The Details

Incorporating professional massage into your child’s routine may help him to develop an age-appropriate ability to focus, a calmer disposition, and even increased confidence. Studies report that two 20-minute massages a week are enough to show significant improvement in ADHD children. Because these kids have trouble staying still for prolonged periods, they better tolerate shorter, more frequent massages.

For massage on children with ADHD, a practitioner generally uses simple, moderate-pressure strokes to the child’s head/neck, arms, torso, legs, and back. Dividing time between these areas–say four minutes each–will address the full body and is enough to get the desired effect. Most kids do fine fully clothed.

A comfortable bed, chair, or table in a quiet room is best. For parents seeking skilled bodywork for their kids, chair massage is a great choice, done with the child fully clothed and for about 20-30 minutes at a time.

In addition, supplementing with home massages between professional sessions can also be useful. Talk to your massage therapist about private massage lessons for you. She can teach you simple, effective techniques to use on your child when frequent visits to the massage therapist may not be practical.

By adding massage to your child’s routine, you’re giving him much needed physical contact and helping to calm his nervous system, which will pay dividends in his ability to do school work, interact with peers and teachers, and be happier in general. And if you’re massaging your child yourself, you’ll create the opportunity for a stronger emotional bond between the two of you.

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Massage has been used as a curing therapy for many thousands of years. Records dating back to 2700 B.C. show that in China massage was used to treat many illnesses or to prevent any. Even Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician writing in 400 B.C., recommended that physicians should treat war or sports injuries with rubbing and massage.

The ancient cultures of Japan, Rome, Egypt and Arabia all considered massage to be calming, soothing and relaxing, and also very important as a therapeutic therapy. Now, in the 21st century, there are many different kinds of massage therapies available, each of which offers specific benefits to the mind and body. Full Body Massage is one of them.

These forms of specific massage can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, plus they can be used to simply unwind and relax.

What are the benefits?

Full Body Massage promotes relaxation and improved sleep, eases the symptoms of stiff, tired joints, encourages improved circulation and speeds up digestion. Clients who have experienced these forms of dedicated massage report that they find the treatment soothing and relaxing.

The skin’s natural functions will be stimulated improving the condition of the skin and the warmth created will help relax the body physically and mentally. Full Body Massage technique involves a sequence of movements working superficially and deeper into the tissue layers. Movements such as effleurage work over the skin with the palm of the hand producing relaxation, whereas movements like petrissage work deeply. Petrissage movements such as wringing and kneading will help to relieve tension promoting deep relaxation in the tissues and muscles.

What to expect?

As no two people are alike, the body massage routine will be tailored to the client’s needs. For those clients who are apprehensive about a massage treatment and of course the stigma attached to this may need some reassurance. A professional Massage Therapist will offer this treatment respecting the client’s modesty at all times. The client is covered in towels, which are turned back to reveal only the area to be massaged at that time. Areas massaged in a full body massage are normally back, legs (back and front), arms front of shoulders and optionally abdomen.

By ensuring you call only a reputable, established company that has professional certificates and qualifications for its therapists, you will receive a wonderful, relaxing, treatment.

Why a Full Body Massage?

The massage is good for people who want to unwind and relax! It is a very relaxing and soothing massage. Available full Body Massages are for example:

-Swedish

-Holistic

-Deep Tissue

-Aromatherapy

As with any massage, it’s a good idea to avoid big meals and alcohol beforehand.

At BTS all our mobile massage and beauty therapists are qualified, extremely experienced, uniformed, vetted, professional yet friendly in their approach and provide only the best client care at all times. Also, after the completion of their massage diploma BTS provides in-house Deep Tissue Massage training.

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Not many things top a shoulder and neck massage. And just about everyone knows even a simple back massage or shoulder rub can be incredibly relaxing. Now, giving a professional therapeutic massage is something that definitely requires training and years of practice. But, there are some techniques you can use to perform a short, safe and simple massage for the shoulders and neck.

In fact, these simple massage techniques can be done literally anywhere. At a desk at work or at the kitchen table at home while your partner sits in a regular chair. Of course, you won’t be able to fix tendonitis or correct chronic headaches, but you’ll certainly be able to help someone else release some tension and relax a little.

A Mini Lesson On The Muscles You’ll Be Massaging

The shoulder muscle is called the trapezius, or sometimes just the traps. This is easy to remember because it’s where most of us trap our tension. In the back of your neck are your extensor muscles which hold your head upright. Poor posture and long periods sitting at computers can cause these muscles to become very tender, tight and achy. Finally, the base of your skull is where your extensors attach into your head.

For The Person Receiving Massage…Permission First!

1. Check with the other person to be sure they want a massage. While most people enjoy and gladly welcome a quick shoulder rub, permission is an absolute must before starting to knead those muscles.

2. Do not do this massage if the person has any severe pain or has had any recent injuries to the shoulder or neck areas. While the massage may feel good, it could aggravate their condition.

3. Check in every so often to be sure the pressure is comfortable. This massage should not be painful. It should only feel good. Pain will make your partner tense up and defeat the purpose of the massage.

4. Bones don’t relax! Which means something that feels hard like a bone probably is and it shouldn’t be massaged. Bones also tend to be pain sensitive. So, everything you massage should feel relatively soft.

For The Person Giving The Massage…Don’t Wreck Your Body!

Chances are, if you’ve ever tried to give a massage before, the other person ended up relaxed and you wound up with arms and hands that ached. So here are some simple guidelines that should let you give a relaxing massage without sacrificing your body:

1. Drop your shoulders.

2. Keep your back straight.

3. Don’t bend excessively.

4. Relax your hands between each movement.

5. Keep a slow, even pace.

6. Minimize the use of your thumbs.

7. Breathe!

Don’t Worry If You’re More Of A Visual Learner…

There’s five great illustrations, one for each technique, available at the end of this article.

Technique Number 1 (Shoulders)

Stand behind your partner. Rest your forearms on the top of their shoulders as close to their neck as possible. Keep your palms down so the fleshy part of your forearm, not the bony part, lies on the muscle. Then let your weight fall straight down onto their shoulders toward their seat. Be sure to avoid pushing them forward and be careful not to lean on their head. Hold this for several seconds. Then slowly lift your arms, move them down the shoulder one inch and again let your weight fall through your arms. Repeat this process several times. As soon as you start to feel the bony part of their shoulder under your forearm, stop, bring your forearms to the starting position and repeat the technique again. Insider’s Tip: Even though this forearm technique is a simple compression movement, it feels fabulous.

Technique Number 2 (Shoulders)

Move to the side of your partner. Feel the tip of their shoulder with your fingers. It’ll feel bony and hard. Then move your fingers toward their neck until you feel some soft muscle under your fingers. Place your thumbs on that spot and slowly press straight down with the thumbs. You’ll be pressing on their trapezius muscle again. Hold the thumbs in the muscle for a couple of seconds and then slowly ease off the pressure. Next, move one thumb-width towards their neck and repeat the compression. Once you reach their neck, move your thumbs back to the starting position and do a second set of compressions to those same points. Then move to the other side of your partner and repeat these compressions to their other shoulder. In general, you should be able to do 4 to 6 compressions before you reach their neck. Insider’s Tip: Put one thumb on top of the other for reinforcement and each thumb will be doing just half the work.

Technique Number 3 (Shoulders)

Stand behind your partner. Place one hand over each shoulder as close to their neck as possible and squeeze their trapezius between the fingertips and the heel of your hand. Hold the squeeze for a couple of seconds, slowly release your grip, then move out one inch toward their shoulders. Repeat. Typically, you can expect to do 3 or 4 squeezes before you run out of muscle. Insider’s Tips: a) Keep your thumb beside your index finger so it stays out of the way. b) Be sure to have the whole muscle in your hand so you don’t pinch the skin on top of the muscle. c) Don’t put your fingers too far around the front of the neck – you don’t want to choke anyone!

Technique Number 4 (Neck Extensors)

Stand to one side of your partner. If you’re standing on the right, make a C-shape with your left hand and place it over the back of their neck. Then press gently into the sides of the neck with your fingers and thumbs and while maintaining this gentle pressure, do a large circular kneading action with your left hand. This movement may remind you of picking a cat up by the scruff of the neck, so sometimes it’s called a C-lift or C-scoop. Do 6 circles in one spot and then move up or down the neck an inch and repeat. Massage along the whole length of the neck, being careful not to pinch the skin at the back of the neck. Insider’s Tip: The key here is to not slide over the skin, but to move it with the fingers, so you don’t burn or irritate the skin.

Technique Number 5 (Base Of The Skull)

Still standing to the side of your partner, you’ll now do some kneading. Cup one hand around the base of their skull. Then gently rest your other hand on their forehead for support. Next, using your hand that’s cupped around the base of their skull, move your fingers in a small circular motion, pressing into the skull as you knead. Do 6 to 8 little circles, then lift your fingers, move them a little closer to the center and repeat the kneading action in order to complete several sets. To do the other side of the skull, simply move to the opposite side of your partner. Insider’s Tip: Move the skin and hair with your fingers, instead of sliding, so you don’t pull their hair.

And Finally…

End your massage with several gentle stroking actions down the head and back. Imagine the gentle motion when you’re brushing lint or pet hair off the back of someone’s shirt. Use both hands at the same time, or one right after the other like someone swimming using the dog paddle. The main thing here is to create an even feeling for your partner.

Overall, it should take about 5 minutes to perform all of these techniques. If you want to massage longer, just do more sets of each technique. And remember, you can repeat any of these techniques several times before going onto the next one.

If you have specific health concerns, consult your medical doctor. The information in this article is educational only and is not intended to replace the advice of your personal health care providers.

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every production.

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