Touch Therapies

Founded in Egypt and China, massages were used as a way to relieve pain, heal injuries, and prevent and cure diseases. Written records found in Egypt and China date back to around 2500 BC, thus allowing us to take a deeper look into the believed benefits. The egyptian culture is credited to a form of massage known as Reflexology. Reflexology can be defined as applying pressure to certain areas of the hands and feet, benefiting the patient's internal organs and well-being.

Massage is a very common form of therapy for all sorts of things, from stress to chronic pain. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of massage in helping to manage patients’ pain while keeping them off medication. The benefit of this type of treatment is pain relief through manipulation of the body. The mechanism of action is, once again, unknown, but it is thought to be related to stimulation of muscles and the blood flow being increased. There are

(Box 35-2, page 760) While different parts of the book described different aspects of touch as therapy, the general statement is that touch is beneficial to everyone. This book is written by Canadian doctors and nurses and has had all of its facts checked and approved before publication so I feel that as a resource I can count on this book to be a reliable source of information. As it is a textbook for nursing students, the intended audience is primarily those studying nursing. With that in mind, many people would not have access to this resource for general inquires.

Acupuncture is gaining popularity as numerous claims are being made to its validity and effectiveness. Although many studies and experiments regarding acupuncture have been done, the scientific basis of the principles of this alternative approach still remains unclear (http://www.health.org/pubs/acu-nih.htm).

Throughout our clinical experiences, almost every patient that we have had reported some pain. Pain medications are often over-prescribed and over-used and can often do more harm than good. People do need pain medications in certain circumstances, but we wanted to research other methods for patients to manage pain. Therapeutic touch can offer a variety of benefits including pain management. A majority of the adult population experiences pain on a daily basis. If more people knew about therapeutic touch and using it for a pain management technique, patients could feel better while not using pharmacological management. According to Flor and Turk, 116 million experience pain on a daily basis and most pay for treatment, whether it be physical therapy, pain medication, inpatient services or primary care (Flor and Turk, 2015). The same report also states, “Prescription painkillers are considered a major contributor to the total number of yearly deaths” (Flor and Turk, 2015).

I will discuss two of those ways. The first is related to the advance in technological services, specifically speaking of telemedicine. Telemedicine has a great purpose in healthcare, however, in regards to the elderly it can create an atmosphere that is impersonal and results in a lack of touch due to treatment being given through technology rather than in person (Martinez-Alcala, Munoz, & Monguet-Fierro, 2013). The second way in which our society has contributed to touch deprivation is by the decrease use of massage due to the lack of study on the benefits of massage and touch therapy with the increased use of hi-tech treatments (Anderson & Taylor, 2011). Nurses are able to enhance touch for the elderly by making a point to shake hands or hug the person. They can advocate for massage therapy and to have the physician use both physical and technological treatments for the elderly, not just rely on the technological aspects of care. A major component that nurses can do is educate. She can educate family and friends on the importance of touch to the elderly’s physical and emotional

Central Idea: Massage therapy is practiced all over the world and has both emotional and physical benefits when received on a regular basis.

In recent years, combining Western medicine with alternative or complementary treatment has become very popular. Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM, are composed of herbal medicine, acupuncture, yoga, and manual therapy just to name a few. This paper will focus on Manual Therapy. What is Manual Therapy? Examples of Manual Therapy techniques and what they are used to treat. Who can practice Manual Therapy and what kind of education is needed Also a case study where Manual Therapy has been used with success will be reviewed.

"Massages have been widely used back thousands of years as far back as the Renaissance" (Priscille and Santha, 2014). According to Myers, Sweeney, and Witmer (2000), Health and Wellness defined as a "gateway to emotional, spiritual and psychological well-being." Health and wellness are holistic and "encompasses physical, spiritual, social, emotional, intellectual, and environmental wellness" (Tharakan, 2012 p. 53). Therapies that assist in rebuilding the body, mind, and spirit would be something like body therapeutic massaging since this relaxes the body and brings it back to a normal clean state by assisting in the inner side such as muscles and relaxes the body and some would say it helps the mind to relax. Also, chiropractic massages contribute

Therapeutic massage includes various state-of-the-art strategies which will enhance the body’s pure restorative healing normal daily functioning. Soft to a firm press is applied to remove anxiety, de-stress muscular tissues, increase blood and lymph circulation, and convey the sensation of. Therapeutic massage brings a collaborative, supportive addition to conventional medical therapy of disease and injury, relieving pain and emotional tension, aiding soft tissue restorative healing and stimulating the body. Furthermore, daily massage can improve health and wellness, giving relax, the release of muscle stiffness, get rid of stress and anxiety and worries, and balancing elements of

Reflexology is a strange consept for most Americans to grasp but however people all over the world are using it to prevent and even cure infirmity. This technique was first introduced in Egypt. With some of their heiroglyptic art, a person can easily observe other practitioners massaging the feet and hands of other people. For the record, foot massage was very important to the Egyptians, considering the fact that they often walked without shoes on hot rugged terrain. In other different cultures with a similar issue, foot massage was common. It was also mentioned in an ancient Chinese medical book in the reign of Emperor Wendy

Exclusively, the subsequent hypotheses were examined in above cited research studies and explore the significant upshots. These hypotheses include: (1) those students who were treated by massage therapy were rated feeling better and happier after massage as compared to other groups who were not massaged; (2) those students who were massaged showed a nominal decline in salivary cortical as it is a measure of stress after the massage therapy than those students who were not massaged; (3) as compared to wait list control groups, the groups who received the massage therapy uttered a momentous reduction in the behavioral troubles post massaged specially inattention and hyperactivity as noted by teachers; (4) post massaged groups divulged a remarkable reduction in depressed mood when they were compared to non massaged groups.

Relieving pain in certain areas of the body can be a therapeutic method for many of us especially after a long, hard day. Reflexology is a form of therapy, which allows for controlled pressure to ease discomfort. In addition, it will facilitate and promote a healthier lifestyle, decrease the likelihood for certain diseases, injuries, and stress. The term “reflex” means “an action or movement of the body that happens automatically as a reaction to something” (Alderson 5). Reflexologists focus on pressure points within the hands and feet. By locating specific pressure points, a reflexologist can manipulate pressure points in the body that is the source of pain, potential debility, and illness, which can be strengthened

In this essay, I intend to discuss whether acupuncture is a scientific therapy. To do this, I will first compare the different attitudes of scholars towards this issue before highlighting their fundamental disagreements. Then,

The antiquated mending conventions of the East, particularly the Ayurvedic custom, put an equivalent significance on feet. Padabhyanga or the Ayurvedic foot back rub can be followed back 5,000 years. With numerous nerves from