Massage & Bodywork

July/August 2012

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often asleep or resting comfortably by the time the massage ends. The nurses at BMC also love it. They notice their patients are happier and calmer after a massage. Suen would love to see the massage therapy services increase, if only there were more money. "If I could have a full-time therapist on our team, that would be great," she says. IT'S GOOD FOR EVERYONE Patients have described several benefits from the massage therapy they received at BMC. Some said the massage helped them feel more relaxed, soothed, and "loose." Others reported an improved sense of well- being, more energy, more flexibility, and less muscle tension. Some patients reported that massage reduced their depression, fatigue, nausea, and pain. Staff members and family caregivers have also benefitted from massage at BMC. One day per week, staff members can get a chair massage on site. The staff massage program at BMC is paid for through private funding rather than grant money. Suen informally tracked some findings of the staff massage program to see if it was helpful. She asked staff members to rate how they felt before and after massage, and then give feedback. Findings showed that, even after only 10 minutes of chair massage, staff members reported reduced anxiety, pain, and stress, and returned to work with more focus and concentration. Staff members even make a point to sign up for shifts on the days the massage therapist will be there. "Our staff don't usually know how to take breaks," Suen says. "Taking a breather does wonders." THE CLINICAL FUTURE OF MASSAGE THERAPY AT BMC Now, after hundreds of patient and staff massages, BMC is looking to the future. After building momentum, getting staff members and administrators to embrace the concept, studying the effects of massage therapy, and expanding the availability of massage to different segments of their patient population, the team at BMC is eager to continue submitting grant applications. Gardiner was never in doubt that massage therapy in the hospital setting at BMC would work, and the idea is gaining ground among other area hospitals, including Massachusetts General and Winchester Hospital. "To provide massage therapy to low- income patients, you have to think outside the box about how to pay for it," she says, "At BMC, we believe that interdisciplinary teams are important for patient care. Working with the massage therapists has been a wonderful addition." Ann Ahlers is a Colorado-based writer and editor with experience in nonprofit marketing and communications. She has also worked as a high school English teacher and has held various jobs in the health-care, tourism, and travel industries. Even after only 10 massage, staff minutes of chair anxiety, pain, and stress, members reported reduced and returned to work concentration. with more focus and

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