Good health and well-being depend on a complex interplay between the physical side of the individual and the spiritual, mental, emotional side. Touch therapy has the power to impact every aspect of the individual and treat the whole person.
Massage therapy is one of the oldest healthcare practices known. It is an ancient discipline whose history dates back to the 2350 AC in Babylon. Egyptians are documented as the first people practicing massage of the feet and hands (2300 AC). Chinese documents 200 AC talk about the development of a type of medical treatment that includes methods known now under the name of "massage". This Chinese system of treatment included techniques of pressure along the body's meridians in order to release blocked energy, cause of physical discomfort. The rebalance of energy flow would release tension and restore function of organs and muscles in the body. Now a similar approach is used in other manipulative practices such as Japanese shiatsu. Independently Thai people developed yoga massage at the time of Buddha, using a similar concept of pressure on energy channels that they called ‘sen’. They also added stretches and torsions to help release tightness and allow the energy of the body to flow better. Indians have integrated massage with yoga to create a system of exercise and massage for the maintenance of health, vitality and spirituality of the individual.
Some of the old documents speak of ancient treatments of medical conditions, such as paralysis, fever etc., through breathing exercises and massage of the soft tissue of the patient. Massage has been integrated in medical practice for thousands of years, first in the oriental world and then in the West.
In the West, Hippocrates, the Greek 'father of medicine', preferred to use techniques of body treatment (anartipsis) and natural medicines to surgery. Other Greek doctors used massage techniques to treat injured warriors. Greeks and Romans commonly used gymnasiums and baths where they practiced massage for health of both body and mind.
After the Dark Ages, it was only in 1500 -1600 that ‘massage therapy’ as a discipline started taking shape in France and Germany, for treatment of damaged or broken joints and bones and after surgical operations. Swedish massage was born in Sweden at the end of the eighteenth century, and developed to alleviate or solve pain due to abnormal conditions through the influences on joint movements. The Swedish massage was introduced into the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. In Europe, various disciplines and practices from around the world, Indian, Chinese, Swedish and Danish (lymphatic massage) were used as therapy from the '60s - '70s.
Massage practiced today uses many different techniques developed and specialized through the course of 5000 years of history and experience in medicine and care of the body and mind.
Massage has the ability to restore the structural balance of the body and at the same time help to relieve stress and promote emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing of the individual.
Among the numerous benefits of massage, the most well known obvious is the effect on the structure of the body. Sport massage prepares for better performance and aid recovery from fatigue or trauma. A regular massage can also improve recovery from powerful training sessions and promotes an optimal function of the muscular-skeletal system. Coaches, athletes and health personnel are aware of the effects of massage on the muscular-skeletal system, like reduced muscle tension, increased range of joint motion and general flexibility. Improved blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to knotted areas and is key to helping muscles eliminate waste products, such as lactic acid, that may collect in muscles from spasms causing pain. Other immediate benefits largely recognized are the improvement of circulation of blood, lymph, interstitial fluids as well as energy.
These and more effects of massage have been proven by thousands of scientific research works. The effects have been revealed not only on the muscular system, blood and lymph circulation but also on the hormonal and nervous systems.
Changes in the parasympathetic system (part of the autonomic or involuntary nervous system, measured by heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability) and hormonal levels (measured by cortisol levels) following massage result in a relaxation response, reduction in anxiety and improvement in mood state.
The levels of endorphins hormones (hormones of pleasure), oxytocin (the hormone of sociality), dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and cortisol are influenced by various massage techniques. Single applications of massage therapy were shown in certain studies to reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate, but negative mood, pain, and cortisol level were affected only with multiple applications. Reductions of anxiety and depression during a course of treatment (frequent repetitive treatments) appeared to be the most effective results of massage, similar in magnitude to those of psychotherapy.
Massage has also shown positive impact on psychological conditions like schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bulimia and anorexia, trauma. According to some eminent psychotherapists the body can resolve emotional traumas and shocks if it is assisted through touch therapy in releasing its patterns of chronic tensions and blocked emotion.
Other measured effects of massage are promotion of deeper and easier breathing, relief of tension-related headaches and eyestrain, reduction of the formation of scar tissue following injuries, enhancement of health and nourishment of skin, improvement of posture by changing tension patterns, increased awareness of the mind-body connection and improved mental awareness (especially of own body parts) and alertness generally. Clinical positive results from massage include improvement of pulmonary function in young asthma patients, reduction of psychoemotional distress in individuals who suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease, improvement of motor development in premature infants, and enhancement of immune system functioning.
Touch used with sensitivity by the therapist allows him/her to receive useful information via the hands about the individual's body, the location of muscle tension and other soft tissue problems.
Touch is also a form of communication and sensitive touch can convey a sense of caring, enhancing the individual's sense of self and well being and reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and social isolation.
Tactile stimulation is essential in all phases of life and deprivation of touch leads to reductions in the level of hormonal substances necessary for health and wellbeing.
From the moment of birth the individual needs to receive positive experience of touch if we want to have her/him develop and maintain high levels of health and well being in his/her life. Increased handling of infants has shown to increase oxygenation of growing brain cells and the size of the brain; the rate at which these brain cells degenerate and die is double when infants are neglected, thus impeding their development. The area most affected is the hippocampus, center of many emotions. New born babies gain many effects from massage, such as greater weigh gain, increased motor activity, improved alertness, better sleep patterns, reduction of stress behaviors, enhance response to social stimulation among others.
Massage in the elderly helps delay the loss of sensitivity in the skin and the neuroactivity related to it. It also gives reassurance and sense of belonging.
Frequency of massage sessions can vary widely. If a person is receiving massage for a specific problem, frequency can vary based on the condition, though it usually will be once a week. Some people incorporate massage into their regular personal health and fitness program, receiving massage on a regular basis, varying from once a week to once a month.
References:
Caasanelia L., Stelfox D 2010. Foudnations of massage, 3rd ed. Elsevier Australia
Moyer, Christopher A.; Rounds, James; Hannum, James W. 2004 A Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy Research. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 130(1), 3-18. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.130.1.3
Pornratshanee Weerapong, Gregory S. Kolt 2005 The Mechanisms of Massage and Effects on Performance, Muscle Recovery and Injury Prevention Sports Medicine , Volume 35, Issue 3, pp 235-256
http://www.answers.com/topic/massage-therapy-2#ixzz372UkqVAV
http://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/physical-therapy/massage-therapy-helps-ease-neck-back-pain
ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) is one the most common and impairing health conditions affecting school-aged children. The research on it is quite recent. Worldwide, 5.29% of persons of age 18 and under are diagnosed with ADHD (based on a 2007 review from all world regions). Boys get affected three times more frequently than girls (2.2% vs 0.7%), according to data from 2010. Children with ADHD are at a higher risk of drug abuse and delinquencies in their teens and between 30 and 70% of children affected will carry the condition into adulthood. It is estimated that about 8 million adults may be affected but 80% of them do not know. In adults this condition manifests mainly with problems of lack of self-regulation and can conduct to marital conflicts, substance abuse, financial problems.
It is medically described as a mental disorder, usually diagnosed by a series of neurological tests and by the presence of a specific number of clearly described symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity that have persisted for at least six months and that result in clinically significant impairment in social, academic, occupational functioning.
The causes of this condition are not completely identified yet but genetics seems to be the most important fact, followed by diet. Nutritional deficiencies and excesses, as well as food sensitivities can either cause or have a huge impact on ADHD symptoms.
The correlated nutritional deficiencies include: mineral deficiencies, such as zinc, magnesium (one of the most widespread deficiency in the world), iron, low levels of proteins, glutathione (one of the strongest antioxidants in the body), omega 3.
Among nutritional excesses are high consumption of refined sugars, pro-inflammatory diets, food with colorants, preservatives and other food additives. A recent research published on The Lancet found that drink mixtures containing common food dyes and the preservative sodium benzoate increase hyperactivity scores in 3 year olds, eight- and nine-year-olds.
Digestive problems can also dramatically affect brain development and result in attention and hyperactivity disorders. A common factor among ADHD patients is a weak intestinal system (leaky gut) and relative food allergies. The most common food allergens to avoid: pasteurized dairy products and gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt and to a less degree oats. Soy products, some nuts, eggs are sometimes not well tolerated. Other possible allergens include those of the nightshade family such as eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes.
Other conditions correlated to ADHD, thus not surely a cause but appearing at the same time, include 1- circumstances prior and during birth: infections during pregnancy (measles, varicella, rubella, streptococcal infection), smoking when pregnant, premature birth; 2 -chemical sensitivities to synthetic products like polychlorinated biphenyls, organophosphates, organochlorine, heavy metals (mercury - including mercury used as adjuvants in vaccines, lead), polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (found in products such as food packaging, nonstick pan coatings, paper and textile coatings, and personal care products); 3 -hypoglycemia; 4 -electromagnetic wave exposure (use of mobile devices when pregnant, exposure to cell phones prenatally—and, to a lesser degree, postnatally); 5- early television watching (before age 3); 6- fluorescent light and low natural light exposure. All these factors showed to have an impact on brain development and to be related to ADHD symptoms.
The management of ADHD typically involves counseling or medications (nervous system stimulants and sometimes antidepressants) either alone or in combination. Use of such medication does not eliminate negative outcomes entirely and can have serious side effects. For these reasons many parents are now asking support to the complementary medicine approach.
Dietary modifications have shown to give some benefits and sometimes herbal prescriptions are more effective that synthetic drugs.
Critical nutrients that are key for brain function can be in deficiency due to a poor or process food-based diet include. Vitamin D, Folic acid, Pyridoxine (B6), Vitamin B12, Zinc, CoQ10, and trace minerals are important for the brain. Supplementing amino acids that are precursors of neurotransmitters such as tryptophan, tyrosine and glutamine insure the needed building materials to make serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine and GABA that have been found to be in low amounts in ADHD patients, due to insufficient protein assumption or bad absorption.
Herbal remedies that have shown promise without side effects are Ginkgo biloba, Siberian ginseng, Gotu kola, and green oats.
Please take this reading as educational and do not interrupt medications without advice from your doctor.
References:Adriani, W., Rea, M., Baviera, M., et al. 2004. Acetyl-L-carnitine reduces impulsive behaviour in adolescent rats. Psychopharmacology, 176, 296-304.
American Psychiatric Association, 2000: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000.
Baijal, S., Gupta, R. 2008. Meditation based training: a possible intervention for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatry, 5, 4, 48-55.
Balch, P.A., 2006. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fourth Edition. Avery, New York.
Bilici, M., Yildirim, F., Kandil, S., et al. 2004 Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of zinc sulfate in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 28,181-190
Bouchard, M.F., Bellinger, D.C, Wright, R.O., Weisskopf, M.G. 2010 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides, Pediatrics, 125, 6, 1270-7.
Braun,J.M., Kahn,R.S., Froehlich,T., Auinger, P., Lanphear, B.P. 2006. Exposures to Environmental Toxicants and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in U.S. Children, Environ Health Perspect, 114, 12, 1904-9.
Cheuk, D.K, Wong, V.2006, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and blood mercury level: a case-control study in Chinese children. Neuropediatrics, 37, 4, 234-40
Coleman, M., Steinberg, G., Tippet, J., et al. 1979. A preliminary study of the effect of pyridoxine administration in a subgroup of hyperkinetic children: a double-blind crossover comparison with methylphenidate. Biol Psychiatry, 14:741-751.
Curtis L.T., Patel, K, 2008 Nutritional and environmental approaches to preventing and treating autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a review.Publication: Journal of alternative and complementary medicine, 14, 1, 79-85
Divan, H.A., Kheifets, L., Obel, C., Olsen, J. 2008, Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Cell Phone Use and Behavioral Problems in Children, Epidemiology: 19, 4, 523-529
Erskine, H.E, Ferrari, A.G., Nelson, P., Polanczyk, G.V., Flaxman, A.D., Vos, T., Whiteford, H.A., Scott, J.G. 2013 Epidemiological modelling of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 12, 1263-127
Gapin, J. I., Labban, J.D., Etnier, J.L.2011. The effects of physical activity on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms: The evidence. Preventive medicine, 52, Supp. 1, S70-S74
Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., Bailey, V. 1998. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 7, 125-130.
Goraya, J.S., Cruz, M., Valencia, I., Kaleyias, J., Khurana, D. S., Huntley, H.H., Marks, H., Legido, A., Kothare, S.V. 2009. Sleep study abnormalities in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pediatric neurology, 40, 1, 42-46.
Gruber, R., Xi, T., Frenette, S., Robert, M., Vannasinh, P., Carrier, J. 2009. Sleep Disturbances in Prepubertal Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Home Polysomnography Study, Sleep, 32, 3, 343–35
Hoffman, K., Thomas F. W., Weisskopf, M.G., Weinberg, J., Vieira, V.,M., 2010. Exposure to polyfluoroalkyl chemicals and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in U.S. Children 12–15 Years of Age. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118, 12, 1762-1767
Kemper, K.J. 2010. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). The Longwood Herbal Taskforce and The Center for Holistic Pediatric Education and Research, in: < http://www.longwoodherbal.org/
valerian/valerian.pdf>
Kiddie, J.Y., Weiss, M.D., Kitts, D.D., Levy-Milne, R., Wasdell, M.B. 2010 Nutritional status of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a pilot study. International journal of pediatrics, doi: 10.1155/2010/767318.
Langseth, L., Dowd, J. 1978. Glucose tolerance and hyperkinesis. Food Cosmet Toxicol, 16:129-133.
Lewis, J.A., Young, R. 1975 Deanol and methylphenidate in minimal brain dysfunction. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 17,534-540
Manor, I., Magen, A., Keidar, D., Rosen, Sm, Tasker, H., Cohen, T., Richter, Y., Zaaroor-Regev, D., Manor, Y., Weizman, A.. 2012 The effect of phosphatidylserine containing Omega3 fatty-acids on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, followed by an open-label extension. Eur Psychiatry, 27, 5, 335-42.
McCann, D., Barrett, A., Cooper, A., Crumpler, D. Dalen, L., Grimshaw, K., Kitchin, E., Lok, K., Porteous, L., Prince, E., Sonuga-Barke, E., Warner, J.O., Stevenson, J. 2007. Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, The Lancet, 370, 9598, 1560 – 1567.
McConnell H. 1985. Catecholamine metabolism in the attention deficit disorder: implications for the use of amino acid precursor therapy. Med Hypotheses, 17, 305-311.
Medscape, 2014. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Prevalence, Etiology, and Persistence, in: <http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/547415_2>
Murphy, Km, Kubin, Z.J,, Shepherd, J.N., Ettinger, R.H. 2010. Valeriana officinalis root extracts have potent anxiolytic effects in laboratory rats. Phytomedicine, 17, 674-678.
Naturalnews, 2014, ADHD natural remedies, in : <http://www.naturalnews.com/032275_ADHD_natural_remedies.html>
Naturalnews, 2014, Amino acids addiction, in: <http://www.naturalnews.com/034030_amino_acids_addiction.html#ixzz32ESlXVyS>
Naturalnews, 2014, ADHD and herbal remedies, in: <http://www.naturalnews.com/026081_adhd_herbal_remedies.html#ixzz32ETZBd36>
Neuman, R.J., Lobos, E., Reich, W., Henderson, C.A., Sun, L.W., Todd, R.D. 2007 Prenatal smoking exposure and dopaminergic genotypes interact to cause a severe ADHD subtype. Biol Psychiatry, 61, 12, 1320-8.
Niederhofer, H. 2010. St. John’s wort may improve some symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nat Prod Res, 24, 203-20.5
Nigg, J.T., Lewis, K., Edinger, T., Falk, M. 2012 Meta-Analysis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Restriction Diet, and Synthetic Food Color Additives, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 1, 86-97.
Olsson, E.M., von Scheele, B., Panossian, A.G. 2009. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract Shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med, 75,105-112.
Pellow, J., Solomon, E.M., Barnard, C.N. 2008. Nutritional and environmental approaches to preventing and treating autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a review. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 16, 4, 323-337.
Pelsser, L.M., Frankena, K., Toorman, J., Savelkoul, H.F., Dubois, A.E., Rodrigues Pereira, R., Haagen, T.A., N Rommelse, N.N., Buitelaar, J.K.201.1Effects of a restricted elimination diet on the behaviour of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (INCA study): a randomised controlled trial, The Lancet, 377, 9764, 494 - 503
Polanczyk, G., Silva de Lima, M., Lessa Horta, B., Biederman, J., Rohde, L.A. 2007, The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: a systematic review and metaregression analysis, American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 6, 942-948.
Sagiv, S.K., Thurston, S.W., Bellinger, D.C.,Tolbert, P.E., Altshul, L.M., Korrick, S.A. 2010. Prenatal organochlorine exposure and behaviors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in school aged children. American journal of epidemiology, 171, 5, 593-601.
Sonuga-Barke, E.J.S., Brandeis,D., Cortese, S., Daley, D. Ferrin, M., Holtmann, M., Stevenson, J., Danckaerts, M., van der Oord, S., Döpfner, M., Dittmann, R.W., Simonoff, E, Zuddas, A., Banaschewski, T., Buitelaar, J., Coghill, D., Hollis, C, Konofal, E., Lecendreux, M. Wong, I.C.K., Sergeant, J. 2013 Nonpharmacological Interventions for ADHD: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials of Dietary and Psychological Treatments, Am J Psychiatry 2013;170:275-289.
Trebatická, J., Kopasová, S., Hradecná, Z., et al. 2006. Treatment of ADHD with French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 15, 329-335.
WebMed, 2014. ADHD in Children Health Center, Understanding ADHD -- Diagnosis and Treatment, in: >http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/understanding-adhd-treatment>
Wikipedia, 2014, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, in: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder>
