Benefits of massage for people who are elderly or have dementia - WCSH6.com

[massage]

I’ve long believed that if we could all start each day with a good back and shoulder massage the world would be a more peaceful place. Not only does massage help relieve stress and tension, it’s being used more and more as a complement to traditional medical treatments. For example, in some cancer centers, volunteer massage therapists give soothing massages to patients undergoing chemotherapy.


And now, Avita of Stroudwater, the memory care facility that has become home to my mother, offers massage to its residents and their guests. Every other week, massage therapist Beth Mitchell will be setting up her massage chair and making people happy. I didn’t hesitate to sign my mother up for a 10-minute massage on the very first day.

Beth decided to become a massage therapist after a lengthy career in marketing. In a way, she is returning to her passion. She has a bachelor’s degree in
kinesiological sciences (simply put, that’s the study of how the body moves) and she’s a certified personal trainer. Massage therapy is a natural fit, but she thought she’d be working in the sports arena, massaging athletes, not elderly people or people with dementia. It happened by chance.

Read more on Catching Health.

Copyright 2016 WCSH

Let's block ads! (Why?)