away, she asked me to set up a professional massage for her. 40 | MASSAGE Magazine | September 2015 | www.massagemag.com | Even though some say the baby boomers are the most active and physically fit generation, one that smokes and drinks less than generations that came before, statistics indicate that cancer and diabetes are more prevalent than ever, and obesity and stress look out of control. These and other issues can lead a person to severe illness and sometimes death. Touch can help, and in my experience, most baby boomers want it. Share love Touch for those who are sick and dying is as unique as the individual. It can mean a slow, light, skilled touch for a person who has cancer. It can be a full-body massage for the 48-year-old ex-Marine dying from earlyonset dementia. It can be reiki, Therapeutic Touch or Swedish massage. It can be a hand on a shoulder or stroking of the hair. Touch means meeting the person where he is and listening to what he wants. The benefits of touch are infinite and reciprocal. I’ve learned this from the people who have graciously allowed me into their sacred space, whether they were sick, distraught or at death’s door. Because loving touch makes people feel cared about, it has the potential to, but is not limited to, calm, comfort, relax and help reduce pain and discomfort, help people breathe easier, ease stress, help with insomnia, ease anxiety, ease depression, and make a person feel good. Touch for the sick and dying can mean a slow, light touch; full-body massage; reiki; or a hand on a shoulder or stroking of the hair. 1970 2013 2030 20 15 10 5 0 Percent of U.S. residents projected to be over age 65 —U.S. Census Bureau | www.massagemag.com | September 2015 | MASSAGE Magazine | 41 42 | MASSAGE Magazine | September 2015 | www.massagemag.com | Touch can be a way to communicate, to show a person he is important and to share love. Just be In order to offer a sick or dying person the full benefits of touch, to show her you really care, and to make a difference in her life, it is important to be present and know how to listen. Being fully present, to me, means I can be with a person physically, emotionally and spiritually, and not distracted by my own stuff or surroundings. I can just be. It means I am open and aware of whatever the person I am with wants me to know. A person knows when another person is present or not. Listening means I’m hearing and seeing what the individual’s entire body is saying to me, paying attention, being present and not scrambling for a response, and being OK with emotion or silence. Being able to be present and listen is one of the best gifts you can give and receive. And it makes touch all the better. Most people want to be listened to and cared about. For sick or dying individuals, touch has the potential to form a profound connection that is stronger and more meaningful than words can ever hope to say. Lindy Roussel, L.P.N., L.M.T., B.C.T.M.B., works as a nursemassage therapist for hospice, and has a private oncology massage practice. She is director of Sage Continuing Education for Massage Therapy & the Healing Arts LLC (sagecontinuinged.com), located in Lancaster and Easton, Pennsylvania. She is a National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork Approved Provider, and is a preferred provider for the Society for Oncology Massage. M Touch has the potential to form a profound connection that is more meaningful than words. Read “Everyone Needs Touch to Thrive,” by Lindy Roussel, L.P.N., L.M.T., B.C.T.M.B., at massagemag. com/everyoneneedstouch. | www.massagemag.com | September 2015 | MASSAGE Magazine | 43 44 | MASSAGE Magazine | September 2015 | www.massagemag.com | Help in a Bottle The massage therapy and other bodywork methods you offer clients can go a long way toward helping ease their pain—but if their pain is related to chronic inflammation, you can step up the therapeutic value of your sessions by offering topical products infused with appropriate essential oils. Understanding inflammation and pain Inflammation is a physiological response to infection, chemical agents or injury—and it plays a critical role in fighting disease and sustaining good health. The inflammatory response is one of the body’s internal defense systems; its combined effect involves vasodilation, increased permeability of the blood vessels, and a host of other responses intended to protect the body from injury and parasitic invasion. The four fundamental symptoms of inflammation are redness, pain, heat and swelling. The main group of compounds related to the inflammatory response are histamines, kinins, prostaglandins, leukotrienes and complement plasma proteins. Pain is a protective response alerting us to tissue-damaging stimuli or injury channeled through free nerve endings called nociceptors. Both pain and inflammation are necessary to maintain the health of the individual. Chronic pain and inflammation are signs that the body is diseased or out of balance, states often caused by stress, dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors, along with disease. Essential oils have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing pain and inflammation, and can assist the body in finding relief from the conditions that may cause the inflammatory response. Properties of essential oils Essential oils