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Massage and Asthma
My daughter was diagnosed with asthma at the age of
three. Not having any prior experience with the
condition, I went in search of ways to help her.
Attending an information seminar at the Asthma and
Allergy Association was helpful but still left me wanting
to play a more proactive role than that of an inhaler
dispenser.
I came across information that massage was beneficial
for asthmatics and there began my training, and
ultimately career as a Massage Therapist. I can only
attest to my personal experiences in treating my
daughter (now 12 years old) and other asthmatics over the past 7 years. I have found that regular massage seems to decrease the frequency and intensity of the asthma
attacks.
During an asthma attack the passages to the lungs
become smaller making it difficult for the asthmatic
to breathe. This may be caused by a number of reasons; the walls of the passages have swollen due to inflammation or the passages may have gone into spasm
as the muscles in and around to walls contract.
As all of the physiological changes begin to occur so
does the anxiety of the asthmatic. Muscle groups of
the mid/upper back and neck begin "locking down".
Surrounding the rib cage are the intercostal muscles.
When relaxed these muscles expand freely to allow us
to take a nice deep breath. During an attack they
contract so the rib cage does less expansion resulting
in shorter shallower breathing. This same tightening,
as stated before will be present in the other
upper/mid back and neck muscles. Massage aids in
reversing the tension in the affected muscles. Basic
relaxation massage is very effective. Controlled
vibration (tapotment) on the back especially over the
rib cage area is also very beneficial.
I always put eucalyptus drops in my massage oil when
treating a client with asthma. It is probably the
most effective scent to help reduce the severity of an
attack. It can also help to prevent attacks starting
by keeping airways moist and so decreasing upper
respiratory tract infections. It is also very
effective on the back and neck muscles.
As I mentioned before, I can only speak to my personal
experience and it has been that regular massage is a
wonderful proactive tool for dealing with asthma. My
daughter is now a year-round soccer player - she has
come a long way!! If you have any questions regarding
anything mentioned here please feel free to contact me
here at the web site or at the clinic. Better yet -
come in and see me for a massage!!
Yours in health,
Christena Chesney,RMT
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