Massage Therapist?

Question

Is there any special type therapy activities for senior citizens that you all do? Any unique forms of therapy for them? Please let me know...

Answer 1

ROM should be minimal as most seniors have arthritis and quite a few have had joint replacements.  Heat applied in the form of a heated table is wonderful.  So are Hot Stones, used in a stroking manner.  Reflexology is awesome and you can barely go wrong with that one!

Answer 2

Massage therapy is good for relieving pain caused by muscle spasms and muscle tightness, but massages alone only have temporary effects if the patient doesn't follow up with exercise and stretching.  A visit to a physical therapist would be a good way to start out - they can perform an evaluation and recommend specific stretches and exercises.  

The choices depend on the person's physical abilities and their interests.   In many places, there are clubs that go for walks and many seniors walk at malls in the early morning.  Where I live, there is a public therapy pool that has a variety of exercises performed in a pool and led by an instructor.  Range of motion and upper body strength are important - there are a few videos for sale that look pretty good, and there are also private physical therapy centers that offer a variety of exercises.

Answer 3

There are many things that you need to know when working with older folks.  They usually have so many healtcare issues like diabetes, heart conditions, circulation problems, mental issues, mobility issues to just name a few.  You really need to get training to do massage with this part of the population.

See the section on geriatric massage

Answer 4

well.there is alot of seniors at my gym who do water aerobics

it really good for them cuz its very easy on the joints and they still get to use all their muscles

i would also recommend yoga for any age group..i have ages 18-72 in my class.....one lady just got into it and shes 60

shes awesome!

i didnt know u were a senior BoomBoom =)  j/k

Answer 5

sports massage?

Answer 6

Massage therapy caters to anybody especially for the senior citizen. Apply a very light stroke of rubbing (with oil) into their body as this is the best way of avoiding sagging of their skin due to aging. Massage gives the blood circulation in a well-balanced state especially the heart as its principal organ. Avoid making twist of their joints or neck as the bones are too brittle already for this application