Self-Help

Massage Your Child

Note: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes and is not medical advice.

Growing children and teenagers may greatly benefit from receiving massage. Appropriate and safe touch can be a form of communication and pleasure for both parents and their offspring. Children often get tense from stress in their lives, and thrive from both the positive attention given by parents and the relaxing, soothing, and healing effects of massage. The good feeling of massage can also help a child or teen improve his/her self-image: body awareness, self-confidence, and self-esteem.

Because they are physically active people, children sometimes experience falls or sports injuries that can cause them to have muscular discomfort. In fact, many injuries or occurrences of back and neck pain that appear in adulthood are actually the result of falls or injuries sustained in childhood. So listen to your children when they tell you of their aches and pains. You can provide some relief by giving massage to relax and soften tight, knotted, or sore areas.

As a parent, you can also use the opportunity of giving massage to teach children the difference between safe, appropriate touch and unsafe touch, and instruct them how to say no to touch. Be sure that you always respond to them by discontinuing the activity when they say no! Never compel anyone to receive massage if they are not interested.

How to Give Massage to Your Child

Choose a warm, quiet, comfortable place. Begin very gently. Start with relaxed, broad hands and easy pressure. You can use massage lotion, oil, or simple body lotion. Use both hands and gradually add a little more pressure, making more specific contact with the palm, the thumbs, and the fingers. Ask you child where the sore spots are and target those areas first. Then if they want you to do more, remember the hands and feet, arms, legs, neck, shoulders, and back.

For muscle problems, gently rub and knead. Pretend that you are kneading bread dough. Lift the muscle, then release back. Make circular movements. Press and rub. Experiment to find what feels good to your child. Massage at home is not so much specific injury treatment as it is to help the child relax and feel loved, which helps the healing immensely! Keep the intensity of discomfort as low as possible. You may find it helpful to converse or joke with your child if there is discomfort.

Points to Remember When Massaging Your Child

Don't give a massage if you're not calm and happy.
Try mini-massages of neck/shoulders, hands, or feet.
For full body massage, child wears sweatsuit, swimsuit, or leaves undergarments on.
Time length varies due to restlessness. Massage can be 10 minutes to an hour (kids typically have short attention spans).
Let movement from your body and shoulders help the work of your hands.
Don't leave a child in one position too long.
Let your child select the music to be played.
Sometimes massage for children is a playful time, and sometimes it is a soothing bedtime ritual.
Always respond to the child's receptivity to the massage, and do not proceed if the child is unwilling.

Appreciation is extended to Suzie Reed, CMT, of Longmont, Colorado for some of the above tips on massaging children.

For more information, Search Amazon.com for books about massaging children.

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Website Claimer and Disclaimer: In the holistic healing model, each person is responsible for one's own health and makes one's own choices in healing. The information in this website is provided for your information and education. It is not medical advice. Any application of the information is at your own discretion. If you feel you need to do so, consult with your physician or other knowledgeable health care practitioner before or while making use of this information.

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