For the massage therapist or healthcare professional considering pediatric massage, there are many considerations to prepare for providing age specific and development appropriate therapy. Additional professional training in pediatric massage is a necessity to feel confident working with children within medical facilities.
As you consider pursuing pediatric massage, some initial adaptations in your practice will become helpful. The following five “P’s” are the keys to successful therapeutic massage sessions for both pediatric patient and practitioner.
Permission:
Permission should always be obtained from the child. Within the confines of hospital walls, it is not always possible for a child to agree to or refuse treatment. Empowering the child to have a voice in their medical care is possible through the use of massage therapy.
Before any touch therapy session with a pediatric patient, you must receive approval from their attending physician to ensure the child’s safety. Never perform massage therapy for a pediatric patient prior to receiving medical consent to do so. Some medical conditions carry contraindications to touch therapy. It is always best to receive medical advisement prior to each and every session, in case of any medical changes.
Pace:
Keep in mind that therapeutic 천안op touch sessions with children are often much shorter than those with adult clients. Even healthy well children have shorter attention spans and tolerance to nurturing touch. As a therapist performing this type of treatment, you may only provide therapy for 15-20 minutes for younger patients. You may find that with some diagnosis, massage therapy may be recommended more than one time per day.
Pressure:
Pediatric massage is adapted for each individual client on a specific case by case basis. With each child it is important to build a rapport and trust in your professional relationship. Allow children to know they can direct the amount of pressure used during the massage. And also be prepared for the child to test out the control they have in directing the amount of pressure used during the session. The child must know they can trust you, so it is important that you listen to their requests. Once they trust you, they can relax and just feel the many benefits of the massage.