In Safe Hands | Massage and PTSD

Here is a repost for an article from the Massage Therapy Journal on Massage therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

I currently am reading a lot on the collaborative approaches of psychotherapy and massage therapy.  More about that later. I am thrilled to see an article in the Massage Therapy Journal addressing possible treatment for clients that have suffered trauma. Here is an excerpt of the article with a link to the whole story:

…….For clients with PTSD seeking massage therapy, Fitch believes working through their trauma history with an experienced psychologist or psychotherapist is a must. “If clients with PTSD seek massage therapy before they have done some reflection with a psychotherapist, they could be at risk of worsening their symptoms, becoming triggered by the touch, or feeling depressed or angry,” she explains.

How Can Massage Therapy Help?

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According to Fitch, some of the massage therapist’s most powerful tools come from how the massage therapy session itself is handled, from the informed consent and opportunity for a client to ask questions that start each session to the therapist’s ability to respond to the individual’s needs during a session, whether that’s stopping altogether, changing positioning or adapting levels of pressure. “All of these actions ensure that clients are safe and know they can stop the treatment at any time, providing them a safe environment to experience touch,” she explains.

Massage therapists can also provide clients with self-care strategies to help prolong the positive benefits achieved, not only in massage therapy sessions, but with other integrative treatment approaches as well. “People who have been traumatized are no longer at home in their bodies,” Fitch says. “Massage therapists can teach clients safe and effective ways of self-soothing and stress management.”……….

Read the whole article- Source: In Safe Hands | Massage Therapy Journal