Massage Therapists' Association of British Columbia

Archive for July 2008

Case Study in Pediatric Asthma: The Corrective Aspect of Craniosacral Fascial Therapy

In Craniosacral therapy, Fascial therapy on July 8, 2008 at 3:13 am

Barry R. Gillespie

No abstract available
Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing. 4(1):48-51, 2008
Full Text

Preterm infant massage elicits consistent increases in vagal activity and gastric motility that are associated with greater weight gain

In Massage, Preterm, Weight gain on July 3, 2008 at 9:56 pm

MA Diego, T Field, Maria Hernandez-Reif, Osvelia Deeds, Angela Ascencio, Gisela Begert

Aim: To determine whether preterm infant massage leads to consistent increases in vagal activity and gastric motility and whether these increases are associated with greater weight gain.Methods: EKG and EGG were recorded in 80 preterm infants randomly assigned to a moderate pressure massage therapy group or to a standard care control group to assess vagal activity and gastric motility responses to massage therapy.Results: Massaged infants exhibited consistent short-term increases in vagal activity and gastric motility on both the first and the last days of the 5-day study that were associated with weight gain during the 5-day treatment period. No changes in basal vagal activity or gastric motility were noted across the 5-day treatment period.

Conclusion: Preterm infant massage is consistently associated with increases in vagal activity and gastric motility that may underlie the effects of massage therapy on preterm infant weight gain.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00476.x