Massage for HIV

Massage for HIV has been researched by the Touch Institute among other organizations. People with HIV and AIDS benefit from massage because massage helps increase immunity and reduces stress easing the symptoms of AIDS. Besides these positive physical effects massage can help people living with HIV and AIDS deal with the stigma of having the disease.

The first reported case of HIV in the US occurred in 1981. Later studies of blood samples showed that their had been earlier cases that occurred in the late 1970's.

Originally thought of as a disease restricted to homosexual men and drug addicts, the infection was largely a mystery at first. People were unsure of where it came from and how it was transmitted. This caused a lot of fear and misinformation among the general population. Unfortunately, in some circles this misinformation lingers making people fearful of people with HIV and AIDS.

HIV has spread quickly in the heterosexual community, especially among African-Americans and in the third world. The spread of the disease accelerated in Africa becoming a pandemic.

Initially, there are no symptoms of HIV infection. Some people report getting flu-like symptoms and swollen glands when they first get infected, but these symptoms soon go away. HIV ravishes the immune system silently making way for other infections and diseases to take hold.

HIV is a serious health concern. As a massage therapist, I took classes about massage for HIV in school. I'm also required to take a continuing education class about HIV/AIDS and HIV prevention every other year.

When HIV was first discovered people were not sure if it was spread through casual contact. Because of this fear many people where afraid to have physical contact with people with HIV or even be in close proximity to them. Now we know that casual contact cannot spread HIV.

The Touch Institute studied massage for HIV in 1996. The study involved 29 men with HIV. The men in the study who received massage showed an improvement in the function of their immune system.

Encouraged by the results, the Touch Institute conducted another study in 2000 on HIV infected teenagers ages 13 through 19. In the study, half of a group of 24 teenagers received seated relaxation massage twice a week for 20 minutes. The control group participated in guided relaxation exercises. The massage group showed the an increase in T-cells and less anxiety than the control group. The Touch Institute did a similar study on 54 Dominican children with HIV and got similar results.

If you have HIV or AIDS or know someone with the disease that you think could benefit from massage, find a massage therapist who is skilled and comfortable working with people with HIV. It's important that you let the therapist know that you are infected with HIV so that they know what precautions to take.

A therapist who is sick should never work on someone with HIV or AIDS. This puts patients with weakened immune systems at risk of becoming ill and developing a more serious infection.

Even a gentle relaxation massage for HIV can provide benefits. Besides improving the function of the immune system, massage helps ease muscular aches and pains. The power of touch can be also be very beneficial for someone with HIV and AIDS. When you have a disease that causes people to distance themselves from you having someone provide you with touch can help provide you with the emotional support and sense of caring that helps you through trying times.