Written by the Director of the world-renowned Touch Research Institutes, this book examines the practical applications of important massage therapy research findings. Each chapter of this comprehensive resource provides a clear and authoritative review of what is reliably known about the effects of touch for a variety of clinical conditions such as depression, pain management, movement problems, and functioning of the immune system. Coverage also includes the benefits of massage to specific populations such as pregnant women, neonates, infants, and adolescents. This book is suitable for massage therapists (including Shiatsu practitioners), aromatherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, physical therapists, and nurses.
2. Reducing Prematurity
Study 1 Pregnant women benefit from massage therapy
Study 2 Massage therapy effects on depressed pregnant women
Study 3 Fetal activity following stimulation of the mother?s abdomen, feet and hands
3. Enhancing Growth and Development
Study 1 Stable preterm infants gain more weight and sleep less after five days of massage therapy
Study 2 Vagal activity, gastric motility and weight gain in massaged preterm neonates
Study 3 Massage therapy by parents improves early growth and development
Study 4 Sleep problems in infants decrease following massage therapy
4. Increasing Attentiveness
Study 1 Massage enhances congnitive performance in normal infants
Study 2 Preschooler?s cognitive performance improves following massage
Study 3 Autism symptoms decrease following massage therapy
Study 4 Massage therapy improves mood and behaviour of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Study 5 Massage therapy of moderate and light pressure and vibrator effects on EEG and heart rate
Study 6 Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and math computations
5. Decreasing Depression and Aggression
Study 1 EEG during lavender and rosemary exposure in infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers
Study 2 Massage and music therapies attenuate frontal EEG asymmetry in depressed adolescents
Study 3 Aggressive adolescents benefit from massage therapy
6. Improving Neuromuscular Function
Study 1 Massage therapy and relaxation effects on university dance students
Study 2 Spinal cord patients benefit from massage therapy
Study 3 Cerebral palsy in children decreased after massage therapy
Study 4 Children with Down Syndrome improved in motor function and muscle tone following massage therapy
Study 5 Parkinson?s symptoms are reduced by massage therapy
7. Movement Studies
Study 1 Creative movement therapy benefits children with autism
Study 2 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: benefits from Tai Chi
Study 3 Movement and massage therapy reduce fibromyalgia pain
Study 4 Senior citizens benefit from movement therapy
8. Pain Reduction
Study 1 Children?s distress during burn treatment is reduced by massage therapy
Study 2 Lower back pain is reduced and range of motion increased after massage therapy
Study 3 Fibromyalgia pain and substance P decrease and sleep improves after massage therapy
Study 4 Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are lessened following massage therapy
9. Enhancing Immune Function
Study 1 HIV adolescents show improved immune function following massage therapy
Study 2 Leukaemia immune changes following massage therapy
Study 3 Breast cancer patients have improved immune and neoroendocrine functions following massage therapy
Study 4 Natural killer cells and lymphocytes are increased in women with breast cancer following massage therapy
Appendix I: Sleep States and Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale
Appendix II: Massage Therapy Abstracts
Index