Pediatric Massage

Adults lead hectic lives but seem to forget children juggle way more than we think. School, sports, chores, social lives, peer pressure, self image, and so much more. Without proper care and mindset, the stress of these activities can have a negative impact on their growing bodies and developing minds. 

We have to remember children aren’t invincible. They are still growing and are susceptible to the same overtraining, repetitive strain, and lack of stretching that can cause injuries just like adults and professional athletes. But unlike adults, children and young athletes have bodies that are constantly changing. Their muscles, bones, and soft tissues aren’t as fully developed. 

Massage Therapy for Growing Pains

One common problem young athletes face are those nagging growing pains. When a child goes through a growth spurt it’s usually in the long bones, such as the humerus or femur. These bones grow more rapidly than the muscle tissue, resulting in a pull on the periosteum and connective tissue. This causes the pain and discomfort felt during a growing pain. To relieve this; a massage therapist may use moist heat on the area of discomfort to lengthen and relax the muscles. Then, a gentle massage would be applied to manipulate and stretch the tissues to provide relief. At LUDUS, Daisy is a certified RAPID therapist where she will often focus on the tendonous tissue at the origin and insertion points of the affected muscles and apply NFR.

Growing pains aren’t the only issue young athletes face and it’s not the only problem massage therapists can treat. Massage for child athletes can decrease potential injuries, increase flexibility and agility, and aid in a more restful sleep while promoting mental and physical relaxation. Massage can also improve your child’s range of motion, reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, and gently warm up the muscles and soft tissue prior to exercise while aiding the recovery process post workout. 

Mental Health and How Massage Can Help

Not only do young athletes feel great on a physical level due to a massage, but on a mental aspect too. Massage therapy for adolescents provides them an understanding of their own body awareness. Knowing their overall health and well being gives them confidence, teaches them the difference between good-touch and bad-touch, and helps them realize their own athletic training and recovery goals while setting up a good routine for self-care. 

So what does a treatment session look like for a child? 

Treatment sessions for a young athlete does differ from that of an adult. First and foremost, the sessions are usually shorter. For example, usually children 12 and under receive 30 minute sessions due to shorter attention spans and smaller bodies. 

Second, the young athletes would be minors (17 years old and younger) which means a parent/ guardian must be present at all times. This is for the protection of the child as well as the massage therapist. When receiving a massage for the first time, a child may feel uncomfortable. This is why it is important for their parent/guardian to be present as a “powerful” figure to provide comfort and support during treatment. This goes hand in hand with the next topic. 

Communication is key to any massage but even more so with children and young athletes. Sensitive and “strange” areas may need to be worked on such as the upper chest (pecs, subclavius, sternum, etc.) abdominals (psoas, iliacus, diaphragm, etc. ) glutes, and hamstrings. For this, clear communication is essential and the massage therapist will explain why the area needs treatment and therefore will ask permission of the client and guardian to work in said area before the massage is performed. 

Letting the therapist know if something is wrong is important too. If a moist heat treatment is too warm or if a certain area or technique becomes painful, the therapist and child need to be able to communicate with each other to stop the treatment or adjust the technique. Before the session though, an experienced massage therapist will address these situations before the session such as what to expect

, pressure, pain scales, and after care. These may be repeated during the massage to effectively communicate with the client for understanding. 

Lastly, proper draping is another important aspect of massage therapy that shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially when working with child athletes. Draping (how the table is set up with sheets, pillows, and the covering of the body during the massage) is considered modest for children and young athletes. As always, the client should be comfortable during the massage and, especially for young children, may be clothed at all times. 

In conclusion, the treatment for young athletes and children can have a very gentle, therapeutic approach while still addressing  athletic concerns. The main focus of the massage is to provide a comfortable atmosphere with clear communication for the client while treating injuries and preventing them. Overall, massage therapy for young athletes will introduce to them at a young age about preventative methods to relieve aches and pains as they mature in their athletic abilities.