Massage for Dementia

Dementia is a very difficult condition to deal with for both the patient and the family. Over time the patients ability to communicate, reason and remember decreases causing the person with dementia stress, paranoia and anger. Simple tasks become impossible to navigate.

The changes that go along with conditions like this such as having to move into assisted living situations bring on even more stress.

There is some research supporting the use of massage for dementia, but more is needed to find out just what the effects of massage is when working with people in various stages of dementia.

Here is an article you can use on massage and dementia for your massage website.

Here is a list of articles I have found online regarding massage for dementia patients:

Research Shows Massage Therapy Lowers Stress and Aggression in Dementia Patients. Massage Magazine

Aromatherapy Eases Agitation in Severe Dementia: Massage Magazine

Dementia Care Reducing Behavioral Symptoms with Therapeutic Touch By Shirley Vanderbilt: Massage and Bodywork Magazine

Growing Old with Massage In Facility Care By Dawn Nelson, C.M.T.: Massage and Bodywork Magazine

Massaging Clients with Dementia From the Practitioner's Perspective By Cynthia Bologna: Massage and Bodywork Magazine

Rewarding Work: Massaging Clients with Dementia Therapist to Therapist By Cynthia Bologna: Massage and Bodywork Magazine

The Hidden Patient Polarity Therapy for Dementia Caregivers By Shirley Vanderbilt: Massage and Bodywork Magazine

Massage and the Alzheimer’s Patient From the Therapist, For the Therapist By Dietrich W. Miesler, MA, CMT:Massage and Bodywork Magazine Massage and Alzheimer's Disease, Part 1 What would Maslow say? By Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR : Massage Today

Massage and Alzheimer’s Disease, Part 2 What does the literature say? By Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR; Massage Today

You Have a Powerful Tool to Help People With Dementia. Nicole Cutler, LAc.

Geriatric Massage A new face for the future Written by Sharon Puszko, PhD, LMT: Massage Therapy Canada

Research:Massage and touch for dementia Hansen NV, Jørgensen T, Ørtenblad L : Cochrane Reviews

The effect of expressive physical touch on patients with dementia. Kim EJ, Buschmann MT. Int J Nurs Stud. 1999 Jun;36(3):235-43. Pub Med

Massage on elderly patients with severe dementia : Massage-research.com

Massage and touch for dementia. Viggo Hansen N, Jørgensen T, Ørtenblad L. ViFAB (The Knowledge and Research Center for Alternative Medicine),Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Oct 18;(4):CD004989.

See also the section on Geriatric Massage

Geriatric Massage Articles

Learn more about becoming a massage therapist

Books:

Massage for the Hospital Patient and Medically Frail Client (LWW In Touch Series)

Comfort Touch: Massage for the Elderly and the Ill (LWW In Touch Series)