Therapeutic massage 

Therapeutic massage helps children with muscle relaxation and stimulation. Massage can be a great complement to your child’s other therapy programs. 

Research shows that massage can enhance how oxygen and nutrients flow to your child’s cells – leading to better breathing patterns and lung health. Other benefits include enhancing the release of hormones, such as growth hormones for weight gain, and assisting with relief of gastrointestinal issues, including gas and constipation.  

Physical benefits of therapeutic massage 

Massage can offer many physical and emotional benefits for your child: 

• Promote social, emotional and cognitive development 
• Help your child relax and release tensions  
• Decrease irritability and excessive crying 
• Reduce gas and intestinal difficulties 
• Regulate behavior 
• Promote sleep 
• Strengthen and regulate circulatory, nervous, muscle, digestive and endocrine (hormone) systems 

Developmental benefits of therapeutic massage 

Massage can support development in five key areas: 

• Communication skills – promote emerging speech, direct eye gaze, listening and turn taking 
• Motor skills – improve muscle tone and coordination, increases body awareness 
• Social skills – encourage child and caregiver to engage one another 
• Self-help skills – stimulate oral motor musculature awareness, lip closure, and relaxation of tension needed for swallowing 
• Cognition – promote overall awareness of self and body boundaries, cause and effect, and increase in attention span 

Appointments 

For more information or to request an appointment, please call 804-228-9268.