q CAD CIEZA
4.- ASISTENCIA A CONGRESOS, CURSOS, SEMINARIOS, Y OTRAS ACTIVIDADES
The practice of infant massage enhances the parent-baby bond, help- ing create loving and respectful relation- ships among family members. The massage time offers parents an opportu- nity to explore and develop their responses to the baby’s sounds, move- ments, and facial expressions. Babies are taught that they are aware human beings who deserve respect, tenderness, warmth, and above all, a listening heart. This type of interaction serves as a model for the child as he or she grows and for the parent as well, encouraging them to develop respectful, loving rela- tionships with an ever-widening circle of people.
—Mindy Zlotnick
Resources:
IAIM (International Association of Infant Massage) 1720 Willow Creek Circle Suite #516
Eugene, OR 97402 Toll-free: (800) 248-5432 Fax: (541) 485-7372 e-mail: [email protected]
Muscular Therapy
Further Reading:
Books:
Kennel, J., and M. Klaus. Parent-Infant Bonding, 2nd edition. St. Louis: CV Mosby, 1982. McClure, Vimala. Infant Massage: A Handbook for
Loving Parents. New York: Bantam Books, 1989.
Montague, Ashley. Touching. New York: Harper and Row, 1978.
Journals:
Field, Tiffany. “The Benefits of Infant Massage on Growth and Development.” Pediatric Basics, Volume 71, 1996.
Ottenbacher, K. J., et al. “The Effectiveness of Tac- tile Stimulation as an Early Intervention: A Quantitative Evaluation.” Journal of Develop-
mental Behavioral Pediatrics, 8: 68–76, 1987.
Scafidi, F. A., T. Field, and S. M. Schanberg, et al. “Effects of Kinesthetic Stimulation on the Clini- cal Course and the Sleep/Wake Behaviors of Pre-term Neonates.” Infant Behavior and
Development, 1986: 9:91–105.
Scafidi, F .A., et al. “Massage Stimulates Growth in Preterm Infants, a Replication.” Infant Behavior
and Development, 1990 13:167–68.
MUSCULAR
THERAPY
M
uscular therapy, also referred to as the Benjamin system of muscular therapy, consists of a series of techniques and exercises designed to pro- mote physical health and reduce muscular tension and stress caused by physical injury. It is also an educational process in which the client learns to understand the cause of his or her physical symptoms and what needs to be done to alleviate them.Muscular therapy was developed by Dr. Ben Benjamin from a synthesis of several approaches to working with the body. Dr. Benjamin’s interest in the field began in 1958, when he sustained a serious injury.
After several frustrating failed attempts to obtain relief, his injury was successfully treated by Alfred Kagan, a well-known French practitioner who had developed original techniques for the treatment of muscular tension and injury. During the course of his treatment, Dr. Benjamin became interested in Kagan’s method and studied with him after his recovery. He observed and analyzed Kagan’s complex technique. From his observation Dr. Ben- jamin created a series of more than 700 discrete muscular manipulations.
Following his work with Kagan, Dr. Benjamin spent several years studying the origins of physical tension and learning ways that people could care for them- selves without requiring continual treat- ment from a physician or therapist. He became particularly interested in the work of Dr. Wilhelm Reich, F. M. Alexander, and Dr. James Cyriax and sought ways of incor- porating some of their ideas into his approach to tension reduction. In Reich’s work, Benjamin learned of the emotional component of muscular tension. Dr. Ben- jamin realized that this understanding of the physical manifestation of emotional distress could help the practitioner distin- guish between emotional distress in the body and mechanical or injury-related tension. In his study of the Alexander tech- nique, Dr. Benjamin discovered a method for establishing proper movement habits. He felt that by using these techniques, practitioners could learn to use their bod- ies more effectively and avoid movement habits that cause pain, tension, and injury. The third influence was the injury evalua- tion and deep friction treatment devel- oped by Dr. Cyriax.
These three approaches combined with Benjamin’s original treatment tech- niques provide a comprehensive under- standing of the nature and treatment of physical tension. They enable the practi- tioner to determine if an injury has been caused primarily by overuse, an align- ment problem, or by emotional stress. Using these techniques, Benjamin was able to distinguish between a serious injury, which requires a physician’s attention, and one that is relatively minor
and could be safely handled with muscu- lar therapy techniques. Benjamin’s tech- niques are not designed to treat muscular tension caused by emotional stress.
A therapist works with the client by performing deep massage, including a variety of area-specific strokes, pressure, and rhythms to reduce chronic tension and pain. In a typical session, therapists may educate clients about the causes and effects of tension. Clients learn techniques designed to prevent the buildup of new tension. These may include basic exercises for warming up, stretching, and building strength.
—Ben Benjamin, Ph.D., and Mary Ann di Roberts
Resources:
Muscular Therapy Institute 122 Rindge Avenue Cambridge, MA 02140 Tel: (617) 576-1300
The Muscular Therapy Institute offers a two-year training program in massage therapy that empha- sizes physical technique, clear professional bound- aries, and good communication skills.
Further Reading:
Benjamin, Ben E. Are You Tense? The Benjamin
System of Muscular Therapy. New York: Pan-
theon, 1978.
———. Exercise Without Injury. New York: Summit Books, 1979.
———.Listen to Your Pain: The Active Person’s Guide
to Understanding, Identifying and Treating Pain and Injury. New York: Viking/Penguin, 1984.