09/14/2019
Kashka Zerafa, Solis Integrative Health Centre’s Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), has a passion for pediatrics and infant massage, which is exemplified in her RMT practice treating infants and children, in an International Peer to Peer Massage program in schools and while teaching infant massage classes to parents and caregivers in the community.
Treating children and infants with massage can provide benefits for a wide range of therapeutic needs, contributing to healthy development, as well as teaching children early about consensual touch.
It’s not uncommon for people to wonder why such new and young bodies would need massage. The answer is multi-faceted including treatment of symptoms, supporting growth and development, as well as preventative care. Of course there is the more obvious need for treatment of injury, systemic illness, post surgery, supporting athletic performance, and common pain from growth and development, as well as treatment or supportive management of torticollis, digestive function, headaches, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Although children often have a faster recovery, supporting healthy healing can have positive impacts throughout on-going development.
Touch has long been known to contribute to neurological development and bonding as early as infancy and birth, which has influenced hospital protocols regarding separation and skin-to-skin contact, especially for premature babies. Infant massage can be a great way to integrate more touch stimulation outside of just holding babies. Infant massage across cultures is a common practice often provided by grandmothers but has not continued much after transition to childhood, despite the benefits continuing to be relevant.
One of the more under-considered benefits more recently being discussed is the protective nature of introducing positive, consensual and therapeutic touch in the early years. The idea is that as children in our culture grow, it is not uncommon for touch to become less and less common, even though many humans are still hard wired to seek touch. Providing children with experiences that encourage skills communicating consent, directing touch and feeling in control of their bodies, leaves them less vulnerable to other touch that does not empower them.
Even if children don’t have an orthopedic or illness related need for treatment, Kashka promotes the use of occasional massage in childhood. Establishing familiarity and autonomy within registered massage therapy can make it more likely that they will be open to and comfortable with treatment when it is needed for other reasons. Parents or caregivers are in the room during massage and the treatment in this context is over clothing. Half hour session lengths are suggested unless there is a condition that requires more thorough assessment, in which case 45 minutes is more useful. Children are often included in their parents and family’s insurance plans and the therapeutic use of introducing touch during a relaxation massage occasionally is a great use of this coverage.
Children Who Receive Massage Therapy May Experience The Following Benefits:
• Decreased anxiety and stress hormones
• Reduced aggressive behaviour
• Enhanced respiratory function
• Production of optimal hormone levels
• Increased body awareness (visual, tactile, proprioceptive input)
• Improved muscle tone and muscle relaxation
• Improved joint mobility
• Reduced hypersensitivity to tactile input
• Increased quality and quantity of vocalization
• Enhanced body image and self esteem
• Increased bonding
• Increased healthy sense of boundaries
**Sourced from Tina Allen of Liddle Kidz Foundation. Kashka was taught infant massage alongside Tina and has also taught with Tina as an ambassador during International Outreach projects**
Kashka Zerafa has recently left Solis on a maternity leave for 6 months to a year, however, Kashka looks forward to teaching infant massage classes to parents and caregivers in the community, as well as a Massage in Schools program to elementary children in the new year.
We’re all eagerly awaiting the birth of our first Solis baby!!
