Question
Are there any massage techniques I can use on my 3 yr. old daughter who has EDS? She doesn't have alot of pain, but enjoys massages and I don't want to do anything that could make her condition worse. Thank you for any help and information you can give me.

Answer
Christina,

My father is a licensed massage practitioner and also has EDS.  Since he is a far better person to answer this question, I took the liberty of passing this to him.  Please feel free to contact him directly should you have follow-up questions.  His contact information appears at the end of his message below.

-Barb


The main concern with massage (or any other bodywork modality) is making sure the specific work/technique/modality is safe for the specific type of EDS involved.

When most people think of massage, they tend to think of basic Swedish massage.  This consists of long, gliding strokes (effleurage), kneading and squeezing (petrissage), rubbing (friction) and tapping (tapotement). All of these techniques can be done light or deep and for either relaxation or treatment. They can be therapeutic because they affect heart rate, circulation and blood pressure. They are also effective in treating various muscle aches and pains, sprains and strains.  Swedish, however, is just one of literally dozens of modalities from which to choose.

Knowing the type and severity of EDS is important to avoid inadvertently causing injury.  For most EDS types, the concerns are skin fragility, susceptibility to bruising, and joint stability relative to range of motion.
Generally speaking, any of the basic Swedish techniques can be safely used with EDS IF they are done gently.  And that is a very important if.

Deep tissue techniques in particular and any "aggressive" techniques in general should be avoided because of the potential for bruising and skin tearing.  Range of Motion and stretching techniques also should be either avoided altogether or only done gently and with extreme caution.

The other two areas of major concern involve Chiari Malformation and Vascular EDS.  Where Chiari is involved or suspected, any work done in the cervical area should be left to a TRAINED professional.  And by trained, it is also meant someone who UNDERSTANDS Chiari and EDS.  Where Vascular EDS is known or suspected, ALL work in the abdominal area should also be avoided.

Modalities that have been found to be particularly effective for soft tissue dysfunctions (and especially where EDS is present) are Myofascial Release (MFR), Craniosacral Therapy (CST), Acupressure, Lymphatic Drainage Therapy, Polarity Therapy, and other Energy based modalities.

Mike Uggen, LMP
[email protected]
www.mikeuggen.com