Massages are highly beneficial in soothing tired muscles, relaxing the mind, and helping with stress. At the same time, many parents doubt if getting a massage is safe for their young child. Also, many parents wonder if there are any benefits to children’s massage as they do not have much stress in their life.
A Kid Body Pediatric Massage is so much more than just reducing stress. It comes with plenty of other benefits, too, that we’ll take a look at. Once you find out how beneficial it is, you will want a San Antonio Massage Therapist to help you immediately!
Table of Contents
A Little History
Massage for infants and young children is nothing new. Plenty of ancient Indian, African and East Asian communities have made use of Kid Body Pediatric Massage. It is also commonly done on infants making use of oils such as coconut oil, olive oil and other oils to help with weight gain, coordination, and even bonding with the child. Some cultures also believe you can help shape their face and noses and have them grow taller by massaging them and stretching their limbs when they are infants.
While this has no science-backed benefits or truth to it, it hasn’t caused any harm either.
What Touch Can Do?
Newborns and infants are yet to develop their various senses. The only sense they’re fully aware of is that of touch. It is often why they may cry when they’re put in bed or stop crying when they’re picked into someone’s arms. They will be quite close to toddlerhood by the time they’re aware of their family versus strangers. Of course, this is only if you also define toddlerhood as ages 1-4. At this point, the touch of a parent and a gentle massage can be soothing and comforting to the child who is seeing the world for the first time.
The Benefits Of A Kid Body Pediatric Massage
For Infants And Babies
- Relaxation And Better Sleep
Without a doubt, massage can aid babies in getting better and deeper sleep. The parents’ touch and massage can help calm them and reduce stress hormones in their bodies. It can be highly soothing and not to mention reassuring them of the presence of their parents that they’re too young to understand using other senses.
- Creating Attachments
Massaging can help babies develop an increased attachment to their parents. It can help even the new mother recover from postpartum depression and anxiety. It is known to increase the levels of or release oxytocin – the veritable love hormone – in both the parent and the child.
- Father’s Emotions
A mother’s brain changes the moment she looks at her child; a little more effort is needed from the father to bring into effect such a big change. Fathers can achieve this by spending more time caring for and catering to their children. Care, as well as playtime, is shown to change the father’s brain. The immediate change in a father’s brain may last only for three to four months; it can be developed by spending more time with the child.
- A Stimulated Brain
A massage from a San Antonio Massage Therapist for infants can help improve their left and right brain functions and neurological development. Infant massage can also help improve muscle development as well as toning.
- Keep Colic At Bay
The right massage techniques can help them recover from colic. Other than this, it is also good for their digestion, breathing as well as oxygen flow.
The Benefits Of Massage For Children
Massage for children is even more useful as they’ve started using their muscles and limbs. They walk, run, and play sports and may have injuries caused by their playfulness.
- A professional San Antonio Massage Therapist can massage the child to reduce musculoskeletal pain from injuries, promote quicker healing, and help them recover faster.
- Massages can help young children increase their awareness of their bodies. This can encourage neurological development, much like in infants.
- It is a great way to help reduce cortisol – the stress hormone – in young children. Stress can come from many sources for children. Fighting, unhappy parents who aren’t in love with each other, bullies in school, not getting a feeling of belonging with their peers as well as a host of other conditions that you cannot control. And anxiety is terrible for children as it hinders their growth at various levels and weakens their immune systems. Massages can help reduce stress and promote healthy growth, boost the immune system and have a better ability to resist diseases.
- It may improve their motor skills. Kids keep developing their motor skills well into their teenage years and can benefit from massages. It can help them in their motor development and boost their awareness and control of their body and limbs.
- It is also a great way to stimulate their cognitive development. A San Antonio Massage Therapist focusing on kids’ massages can improve their general alertness and speed.
- Kids’ massages can vastly improve their mood. It can be soothing to them and help teach them the importance of self-care. As they grow older, they’re more active and have more responsibilities in school and at home. A massage can be highly useful. Only, remember they should be clothed so they can develop mentally healthy. Keep clear of boundaries and know your limits, even as a parent.
A massage should be about aiding the child, not something blindly followed in hopes of the benefits.
Conclusion
Massages are highly beneficial for infants as well as growing children, even well into their teens. Although, as they’re growing, it is the parent’s responsibility to teach them boundaries, and so the massage should be dealt with as such. Whether you have an infant or a young child, you can massage them yourself or go to a professional like Mama Bear Massage for a professional massage. We will also teach you everything you need to know about infant massages so you can bond with your little one.
