Massage is well known for reducing stress and promoting relaxation, according to the American Massage Therapy Association, and “a growing body of research shows that massage therapy is effective for relieving and managing chronic and acute pain.” An innovative program that aims to provide the comforting touch of massage to relieve pain and decrease stress and tension, is now available for the residents of the Jewish Home at Rockleigh. All residents requesting MT must be screened and cleared by the Director of Rehabilitation at JHR.
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Susan Witney, LMT discussed the benefits of MT with residents at a demonstration here recently. She explained that she could work on a specific injury or pain, such as massaging a patient’s hand to relieve pain from arthritis. The massages run from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on a patient’s needs; the therapist is available to do massages two to three times a week based on demand.
A recent study from the American Hospital Association, with support from AMTA, shows that many hospitals are incorporating massage therapists into their pain management programs. Of the 1,007 hospitals responding to the AHA survey, massage therapy was the most prevalent complementary and alternative medicine offering, with 82% of the hospitals reported saying that they include this procedure. Of the hospitals with massage therapy programs, more than 70% utilize MT for pain management and pain relief.
Massage therapy has positive effects on many functions and medical conditions, notes the Touch Research Institute, established in 1992 at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Among the significant research findings are that the results of MT include “diminished pain from fibromyalgia, decreased diastolic blood pressure, anxiety and cortisol (stress hormone) levels in adults with hypertension, and decreased occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms, and increased serotonin level in adults with migraine headaches.”
The AMTA requires that its professional members graduate with a minimum 500 in-class hours of the massage therapy training program; or pass the national certification exam in therapeutic massage and bodywork; or possess a current AMTA-accepted license to practice; and earn continuing education credit and uphold the AMTA Code of Ethics.
For further information on the program at JHR, please contact Charlene Vannucci at 201-750-4237.