Baby Massage Therapy & Techniques

While baby massage has been prevalent in the East for centuries, the West is only now waking up to its therapeutic effects. There is no doubt that massage is a good therapy for infants, leading to improved physical, mental and emotional development.

There are many techniques and methods of massage, as there are various oils that are recommended.

Baby massage oil: Therapists recommend natural unscented vegetable oils for infant and baby massage. Olive oil and grape seed oil are popular across the world, while in India, mustard oil is usually the first choice. Creams, lotions and baby oils, containing mineral oils and chemicals, are best avoided. They can not only cause allergies, babies have a habit of putting their hands in their mouth, and licking these minerals can be harmful. While some therapists recommend essential oils because of their aroma and therapeutic benefits, others think it is best to avoid them, because their strong smells can be overpowering for a baby.

Baby massage techniques: There are many techniques for massaging a baby. But a baby is not particular whether you are using acupressure or a Swedish or a Kerela massage. For baby massage therapy, just use gentle strokes, and adjust the pressure of your hands according to the age of the infant.

• Use gentler strokes for a month-old baby than, for say, an eight-month old.

• The room must be pleasantly warm, because the baby will be unclothed and may catch a cold if the temperature is low.

• Keep all your massage related items – such as oil, towels, wipes - handy before you start the massage.

• Lay the baby down on a soft towel or blanket. You can use a table or you can even stretch out your legs and place the baby on it.

• Place the baby face up, on the surface of the massage area.

• You can use soft music for your massage therapy as this will help to create a calm and soothing atmosphere.

• Start by pouring about half a teaspoon of the oil on your palms and rubbing them gently together, before applying. The baby’s bare skin is very sensitive to heat and cold and rubbing your hands together warms them up.

• Baby massage therapists usually recommend starting from the head, using circular strokes of the hand on the chest and stomach, up-and-down strokes on the legs and arms, and upward strokes on the back.

• The massage should not last for more than 30 minutes, and you must stop even earlier, if you feel that baby is feeling uncomfortable for whatever reason.

Massaging your baby is one of the best therapies and promotes well-being. It is considered by many to be as important as any nutrients and food, so try to do it every day.

Tags: baby massage, baby massage oil, baby massage techniques, baby massage therapist, baby massage therapy

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 at 5:27 am and is filed under Massage Therapy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Benefits of Amma Massage Therapy

Origin: Amma Massage is a very ancient therapeutic form of massage which is more than 5000 years old. It has its foundation in traditional Chinese medicine. Amma is actually a very old Chinese word, which means ‘push-pull’ (am-ma). It has been adapted as Amma Massage Therapy, and is practiced in China, Japan, as well as in the West, one such place being Bethesda.

Principles: According to ancient Chinese medicine, Qi or Chi, is the life force flowing through our entire body. When this flow is interrupted or blocked for any reason, the person suffers from some ailment or disease. The aim of Amma Massage is to remove these blockages by applying pressure at specific points (just like in acupuncture), in order to re-start the smooth flow of chi, so that the person becomes healthy again.

Benefits: Amma Massage Therapy has proved beneficial in preventing and treating diabetes, arthritis, sprains, hypertension, chronic fatigue, gastrointestinal and circulatory ailments, neuromuscular disorders, respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as auto-immune diseases such as scleroderma. It also benefits those with back pain, headaches, insomnia, irritable bowel, edema, while being effective in cases of infertility and for reducing stress and anxiety. It also helps to build and fortify the immune system and so results in a reduction of health problems.

Some massage therapists also claim that they have used these techniques effectively in cancer treatment.

Many hospitals also provide Amma Therapy as an additional holistic treatment along with allopathic treatment.

Principles: Amma Massage therapists use a combination of stroking, stretching, kneading, vibrating, pressing and tapping on the 361 pressure points of the body in order to remove the blockages and restart the free flow of chi. While the therapist relies mainly on the strength and sensitivity of their hands, in some case they may also use their elbows, arms, feet and knees for the massage.

Diagnosis: A good practitioner will carry out a thorough assessment to diagnose the specific ailment. They will enquire as to what the patient likes or dislikes, diet, bowel movement. They will feel the pulse, observe complexion, and even the smell and color of the tongue.

After the diagnosis is over, the patient changes into loose clothing and undergoes a massage session of approximately one hour.

Amma massage goes beyond mere massage - the therapist also makes various dietary and nutritional recommendations, along with exercise requirements.

Bethesda in Washington DC offers certified and licensed professionals, with massages tailored for each individual.

Tags: amma massage, amma massage bethesda, amma massage therapy, amma massage therapy bethesda

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 at 5:23 am and is filed under Massage Therapy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Ear Reflexology/Auricular Therapy

Ear Reflexology/Auricular Therapy
Just like the feet and hands, there is a map of the body on the ears. Stimulation of sensitive points on the ears have a therapeutic effect on those parts of the body that are mapped. Auricular therapy is utilized by acupuncturists, shiatsu practitioners, and naturopaths. Reflexologists, who do not use acupuncture needles, use thumb and finger pressure for Ear Reflexology.

Though there are historic records of tiny burns to certain zones in the ears around 400 BC, and twenty therapeutic points in the ears available in acupuncture by 618-907 AD, as being a comprehensive system of treatment, ear reflexology is of more recent origin.

Dr Paul Nogier, French physician writing in a German acupuncture periodical in 1957, first drew serious attention to the correspondences between specific sites on the ear and other parts of the body. When he had patients showing up with burn marks on their ears, a form of local folk healing for back pain, he began years of careful observation relating points of tenderness, morphological and coloration changes on the ear to disease elsewhere in the body. More than 200 sites were then charted on the auricle (ear) by Chinese medical workers.

The Difference between Auricular Therapy and Ear Reflexology
Auricular Therapy is the approach used by Physicians and other licensed medical practitioners. French and Chinese physicians have reported that it is possible to diagnose a variety of pathological conditions by examining the ear. When there is pain in part of the body, the corresponding ear point is said to be "reactive", manifesting greatly increased tenderness and electrical conductivity as compared to the surrounding areas of the ear.

Several investigators have provided clinical evidence supporting the therapeutic efficiency of auricular therapy for the relief of pain and the healing of disease. Reflexologists are not doctors and cannot diagnose or treat specific illnesses. Reflexologists use specific touch techniques to help different parts of the body relax, so the body can normalize itself naturally. View the original article here


The Application of Ear Reflexology
Ear Reflexology is administered through thumb and finger pressure techniques applied to the external ears. When used alongside other reflex maps an Ear Reflexology treatment may last 5-15 minutes. As a stand alone treatment a Reflexologist may offer a 30 minute Ear Reflexology session. Some ear reflexology sessions involve 3-5 minute holds on specific points.
Contraindications for Ear Reflexology include psoriasis or eczema sores that are open or other wounds to the ears that are not yet healed.

A session should be postponed until the issue clears up or an alternative map, such as the hands, may be used. Clients with external hearing aids may choose to remove them for a session. Those with internal, or implanted, devices will best know if external stimulus to the ear will be appropriate for them.
Human studies have shown that stimulation of ear acupuncture points appears to cause the systemic release of endorphins.You can feel the relaxation effect for yourself by using the thumb and index finger to gently rub the entire outer surface of both ears.

The Basic Concept of Auricular Therapy
The basic concept of Auricular Therapy is that the nerves in the skin overlay specific areas of the external ear which correspond to specific parts of the brain, which has a reflex connection to the body. These reflexes are activated when problems in part of the body induce reflex reactions in the external ear, manifested as changes in tenderness and altered blood circulation. These reflexes are stimulated when pressure is applied  to points on an ear in order to help  another area of the body.

Stimulation of ear reflex points leads to a diminished tenderness of the affected area. By correcting pathological reflex centers in the brain, stimulation of auricular points can lead to balance, where any form of stress or pain is lessened.
Auricular reflexology can be used to treat health conditions in distant parts of the body.

Stimulating points in the ear can not only help problems in the face and head, but can also relieve pathological disorders in the chest, abdomen, lower back and feet. The theory is that nerves from the ear connect to reflex centers in the brain, which send neurological reflex pathways to the spinal cord and then to neurons going to the spine or to the foot.

 For instance, the stomach may be sending a message to the brain saying, "Stomach hurts." Stimulating the reflex points sends a message to the brain, "stomach okay, stomach okay," then the brain send a message to the stomach saying, "You're okay."

Among licensed medical practitioners, the most common reported uses for Auricular Therapy have been for control of chronic pain, detoxification from addictions, (smoking and heroin and cocaine), relief from nausea, and high blood pressure.
       
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