| Helping Children Find Focus | | | | Two recent studies conducted by the Touch |
| Cathy Ulrich | | | | Research Institute at the University of Miami reported |
| Imagine lying on a massage table. As your massage | | | | that regular massage therapy can be an effective |
| therapist sets to work, you feel your body relax. Your | | | | treatment for kids with ADHD. One study found |
| muscles soften, your nervous system calms. Now, | | | | adolescent boys who received ten 15-minute daily |
| imagine how you feel when the massage is | | | | massages were observed by their teachers to be |
| over--relaxed, alert, calm, and content. | | | | more focused in their schoolwork, and they fidgeted |
| Anyone who has gotten a massage understands the | | | | less. In addition, the children rated themselves as |
| many benefits that it offers. Massage is usually | | | | happier than those who participated in a relaxation |
| reserved for adults--or sometimes infants--but what | | | | therapy program. |
| about massage for kids and adolescents? If massage | | | | Another study involved kids aged 7-18, 20 percent of |
| helps calm the body and improve alertness, how might | | | | whom were girls. Each subject received a 20-minute |
| it help kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder | | | | massage twice a week. They showed immediate |
| (ADHD)? Can children and teenagers who can't sit still | | | | improvement in their moods and longer-term behavioral |
| benefit from massage? | | | | improvement in the classroom. They also reported |
| Understanding ADHD | | | | feeling happier and their teachers found them to be |
| Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is | | | | more attentive. |
| rapidly rising as the most common psychiatric | | | | In adult studies, massage has been shown to reduce |
| diagnostic label for children. Anywhere from 3-7 | | | | levels of the stress hormone cortisol, helping to mitigate |
| percent of all school-age children and adolescents may | | | | the active fight-or-flight response. Massage also helps |
| have it, and it is one of the primary causes of | | | | improve math computation performance and raises |
| behavioral problems in general pediatric settings. Nine | | | | alertness levels, as measured on |
| boys are diagnosed with ADHD for every girl, but the | | | | electroencephalograms (EEGs). Finally, massage |
| rate of diagnosis for girls has been rising as well, and | | | | decreases depression and increases mental focus. |
| girls who are diagnosed have the same level of | | | | The same effects are seen in children and teenagers |
| impairment as boys. | | | | with ADHD. |
| Kids with ADHD show difficulty holding attention and | | | | The Details |
| display impulsive behaviors and overactivity levels | | | | Incorporating professional massage into your child's |
| beyond what might be expected for their age group. | | | | routine may help him to develop an age-appropriate |
| They typically show poorer academic performance, | | | | ability to focus, a calmer disposition, and even |
| have difficulty in social settings, and can't adapt as well | | | | increased confidence. Studies report that two |
| emotionally as kids without ADHD. Studies show that a | | | | 20-minute massages a week are enough to show |
| diagnosis of ADHD puts kids at higher risk for | | | | significant improvement in ADHD children. Because |
| delinquent behaviors and substance abuse. Other | | | | these kids have trouble staying still for prolonged |
| diagnoses such as learning disabilities, mood disorders, | | | | periods, they better tolerate shorter, more frequent |
| and anxiety disorders are often seen in the same | | | | massages. |
| children. | | | | For massage on children with ADHD, a practitioner |
| Medical Treatments | | | | generally uses simple, moderate-pressure strokes to |
| Now a household name, the drug Ritalin is the most | | | | the child's head/neck, arms, torso, legs, and back. |
| common medication prescribed for children diagnosed | | | | Dividing time between these areas--say four minutes |
| with ADHD. In fact, it's the most common drug | | | | each--will address the full body and is enough to get |
| prescribed for any childhood disorder. It's been | | | | the desired effect. Most kids do fine fully clothed. |
| estimated that more than five million school-age | | | | A comfortable bed, chair, or table in a quiet room is |
| children take Ritalin annually. | | | | best. For parents seeking skilled bodywork for their |
| Known to stimulate areas of the brain associated with | | | | kids, chair massage is a great choice, done with the |
| attention, arousal, and inhibition, Ritalin seems to help | | | | child fully clothed and for about 20-30 minutes at a |
| improve ADHD symptoms in about 75 percent of | | | | time. |
| cases, but its effects last only as long as it's taken, and | | | | In addition, supplementing with home massages |
| it does produce side-effects. Nervousness, headaches, | | | | between professional sessions can also be useful. Talk |
| sleeplessness, and rapid heart rate are sometimes | | | | to your massage therapist about private massage |
| seen with its use, and overdose can produce severe | | | | lessons for you. She can teach you simple, effective |
| effects such as agitation, hallucinations, high blood | | | | techniques to use on your child when frequent visits to |
| pressure, seizures, heart arrhythmias, and psychosis. In | | | | the massage therapist may not be practical. |
| addition, studies are only now being conducted on | | | | By adding massage to your child's routine, you're giving |
| long-term effects. | | | | him much needed physical contact and helping to calm |
| Ritalin, as well as other psychostimulant drugs, can be | | | | his nervous system, which will pay dividends in his |
| effective in improving attention span and modifying | | | | ability to do school work, interact with peers and |
| behaviors associated with ADHD, but kids need to be | | | | teachers, and be happier in general. And if you're |
| monitored carefully for side effects and appropriate | | | | massaging your child yourself, you'll create the |
| dosage. | | | | opportunity for a stronger emotional bond between the |
| Massage for ADHD | | | | two of you. |