Massage has been shown to improve blood sugar levels in diabetics, improve pulmonary function in asthmatics, decrease JRA pain, and improve skin conditions in children with eczema. The benefits also include improved muscle tone, enhanced pulmonary and immune function, decreased anxiety,enhanced body image, increased bonding and attachment, a healthy sense of boundaries, stress reduction, and an overall sense of well-being.
Controlling stress is crucial for children with diabetes, asthma, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), and skin problems. As stress hormone levels rise, symptoms increase, as in the case of diabetes and asthma, sometimes putting the child's life at risk. Tiffany Field, Ph.D., of the Touch Research Institute in Miami, Fla.