We were delighted to attend Silver Service – a charity working for older people in Manchester, to teach our senior massage course to their client base and staff.
We recognise how important massage is for the elderly and how, for many elderly who are living in isolation, the power of touch can be incredibly healing. Indeed, for many, the experience of human touch can be less frequent, and elderly massage can have a significantly positive effect on mental and physiological health.
Click here, to find out more on why massages are particularly good for elderly people.
Studies are beginning to show that being touched can help lessen pain, improve immune system functionality, improve pulmonary function, increase growth and development, and lower blood glucose. When you are touched, the many nerve endings in your skin send messages back to your brain, which is how we experience pain or heat.
When another person touches you, the signals sent to your brain translate into feelings of security, happiness, and comfort. These feelings are supported by decreased stress hormones and increased oxytocin, a hormone thought to calm and counter stress.
These benefits drive us to provide massages for older adults and teach massage techniques to alleviate physical pain, stiffness, etc. Massage also creates an emotional connection, helping to break down feelings of loneliness, depression, etc.
The staff and clients at Silver Service responded very positively to the massage workshop, which incorporated a hand massage for the elderly routine. They were genuinely grateful for the relaxation they felt at the end of the session, and we know that they thoroughly enjoyed their session with us.