Santi Juntawan,
An occupational therapist at Manarom Hospital.
WHAT ARE CLASSIFIED AS TOUCH THERAPIES?
According to Santi, touch therapies involve three main methods as follows:
1. Touch refers to the use of a hand or finger to gently make contact or lightly tap a person's body, such as holding
hands, giving a back rub or touching the shoulder, as well as hugging or putting your arms around someone.
2. Pressure involves the use of hands to press down on troubled spots on the body.
3. Deep stroke is a combination of pressure and massage stroke on a patient's body, sometimes with the use of oils, lotions
or creams to reduce friction and provide maximum glide. Therapy massage should always be given gently and not in a hurried
manner. Santi also explained that therapeutic touch therapy massage helps to invoke relaxation, reduce stress, boost
blood circulation and ease muscle pain. "When being massaged, your body will relax and release endorphins - which are
hormones that help to relieve pain," he said.
For countless generations of people, a loving touch or a massage has been utilised as a traditional healing method by many
different cultures because it is safe, efficient, cost-effective, and has no side effects.
Kids aged over 11 should be engaged in appropriate activities that reflect higher responsibility and maturity like opening
the curtains, closing windows, emptying dustbins, washing a car or helping their mother cook food.
Giving children a compliment is also important. Parents can hug them or look at them admiringly to encourage them to participate
more in the household. By nature, children love compliments. When they do something good, parents should admire them
immediately, but it must not be exaggerated. Training children to go to bed and get up at the proper time can also enhance
their discipline and habits. But the rules should also be flexible. For instance, if they have to get up at 6am during
school days, then they should be able to get up at 7am during the school break, but not at noon though. The environment
in the house always plays a vital role in training children to become disciplined persons who will grow up to be good
adults in the future.
Bangkok Post, Lifestyle Family February 1, 2011
Santi Juntawan, an occupational therapist at Manarom Hospital.