Massage Helps Children with Burn Injuries
A pilot study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies has found that range of motion improved in children during post-recovery massage treatments. Understanding the impact of these treatments for a child suffering from a burn injury can be a critical improvement to the often painful and somewhat limited treatment options now available.
It is not uncommon for adults and children suffering from traumatic burn injuries to seek out alternative treatments such as massage.
Eight children attending a camp for pediatric burn survivors were chosen to participate. The children ranged in age from 10 to 17 and five children participated for four to five days while three children participated for three days. All of the children participating had thermal burns to several body parts including the arms, legs, trunk and face. According to the study, massage was provided on healed third degree burns that had previously required skin grafts and the areas receiving massage were well healed with two to 16 years since the burn.
Therapists with advanced training in massage for burn scars offered massage sessions that lasted 20 to 25 minutes, once daily for up to five days. The study described the massage provided on the scar tissue as five minutes of lengthening using long, light strokes; five minutes of stretching and rolling strokes between hands, fingers or thumbs; and two to five minutes of small cross fiber movements to loosen the scar tissue. The last five minutes were described as including general lengthening and rolling movements. In examining the tissue, therapists found that prior to the massage the skin was red and firm prior to the massage and became flesh colored and softer post massage.
According to the study, the authors concluded that "massage increased range of motion in children with burn scars." The study authors do believe more research is needed with measures to include affective states such as anxiety. They also suggest future studies should address whether massage effects vary depending on the stage of recovery. For example, are new scars helped more than old scars, or vice versa.
Though the study size was small, this pilot study does open the door for future research to determine if and how massage therapy can potentially provide lasting impacts for children, as well as adults, suffering from traumatic burn injuries.
