I'm very interested in what part of the population i want to work with it is time to explore what i can offer the elderly and what specifically i want to do.
Obviously massage in and of itself is nice. The power of touch is a powerful thing. It has been proven that those that are physically touched on a daily basis have lower blood pressure, stress levels, anxiety, and decreases the chance of developing depression (National Institutes of Health). The elderly are the most "untouched" population. A lot of elderly live alone and are less likely to go out on a daily basis.
While relaxation massages are good and can help a great deal, i believe my calling is a little more than that. I would like to work on injuries, post-operations, and maybe some fall prevention. Overall aiding rigid muscles, ligaments, and tendons to soften and scar tissue to release. I read an article today about a study where a guy took 2 groups of older adults (over 65). One group he used massage and gentle range of motion exercises on their feet, ankles, and legs. The second group he only used a placebo magnet therapy or something like that. Then he tested their balance. Turns out there was a HUGE difference in the 2 groups! The group that got worked on performed better all around. How exciting is that!
I also thing scar tissue is a big issue. After hip/ knee/ ankle/ whatever surgeries there is gobs of stiff, rigid, restricting, nasty scar tissue just sitting there hindering range of motion and causing pain. If i could clear that out of an area not only would the person heal faster but physical therapy would be more beneficial and the recovery process would be faster! In addition to surgeries and NEW scar tissue, there are also people out there who have old broken bones, old injuries, and old surgeries that have OLD scar tissues which brings it's own physical restrictions.
These are just a couple ideas i have and it feels good to get them out there.
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