Massages are an example of complementary or alternative therapy. They’ve not been deemed a part of conventional medicine, but they may be a supplementary intervention type that helps regulate your health symptoms. Geriatric massage is explicitly geared toward an individual of old age. Older adults, as well as their therapists, have specific considerations to take into account when getting a massage. 

A massage therapist offering geriatric massage in San Antonio will analyze and consider all the aging factors and particular health conditions of the subject when tailoring the massage. Remember that there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to geriatric massage. Everyone’s body is different and experiences unique health conditions plus overall fitness.

How Is Geriatric Massage A Different Type Of Alternative Therapy?

Since the elderly community has specific health obligations due to age-related conditions, senior massage rests on the principle of tailoring basic massage techniques to fulfill seniors’ demands. The below-written modifications have been executed to traditional massage techniques to accommodate the explicit obligations of the elderly community:

  • Mild and soft hand motions
  • Shorter sessions
  • A passive movement of the leg, toes, and shoulder joints
  • Tender massage of uninflamed joints of the feet & hands
  • Occasional application of stronger moves

Geriatric Massage Considerations By Therapists Before Initiating Massage

A massage therapist takes into account numerous factors for elderly age to ensure their experience remains safe and beneficial.

Overall Health Status

A massage therapist first considers your overall well-being when presenting a geriatric massage. This may include observing your moves along with interrogating about your health status and activity level. Always remember that the aging body encounters changes to systems in the human body. Your body may be more receptive to pressure, your joints can operate individually, and your muscles & bones may be extra vulnerable.

Health Conditions

It’s relevant for a massage therapist to know about any health conditions the subject may have before offering geriatric massage in San Antonio. These may cover chronic conditions such as arthritis, cancer, circulatory, diabetes, gastrointestinal, or heart ailments. This is principally significant for a therapist to know if you’re someone who experiences dementia or Alzheimer’s condition. A therapist ought to be informed of every tiny health condition before implementing the massage.

Medications

Adults are often on medicines or take one or several medications to treat even severe health conditions, so the massage therapist must know the subjects’ medication. This is critical as they can modify the message on the basis of the effects of the medications.

Skin Condition

With age, the depth and durability of the human skin change. The massage therapist must determine what pressure they can implement securely to your skin. Extreme pressure on the skin could result in cracking or irritating your skin.

Pain Threshold

While geriatric massage San Antonio, you may experience pain differently as an older adult because of decreased blood flow, a health condition, or medication. The massage therapist asks his subjects if they have an exaggerated sense of pain or cannot feel it until it’s excess. This has the ability to avoid injury or discomfort.

Temperature Regulation

You may be more susceptible to heat or cold with age. It might also be hard for you to regulate your temperature. Therefore, a therapist makes sure to ask the subject about any temperature sensitivity to accommodate the subjects.

The Bottom Line!
In order to offer an effective geriatric massage, the therapists need to keep the above-stated aspects in mind. Many older people feel that geriatric massage in San Antonio is beneficial because it alleviates headaches, comforts depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc. Moreover, it can help overall improvement in the quality of life.