 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Not only does massage help with the physical pain and changes caused by a disability, it can also help you get more comfortable with your body and most importantly, get more comfortable with being touched when you're not feeling confident or secure with your body. It can help with the mental pain and changes created by the normal concerns over body image and performance anxiety. During massage you can relax, explore and learn about your body in a comfortable setting. It's a perfect way to get used to intimate touch once again.
A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT FROM A DISABLED MASSAGE CLIENT
MASSAGE AND DISABILITY: AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY
PARALYSIS - Whether caused by stroke, SCI or illness/disease, paralysis creates a variety of problems that massage can help with. Here's a good article on the Benefits of Massage for SCI Patients that can be applied to anyone dealing with any kind of paralysis. They didn't include sexuality it in the above article. I think that it's very important for men & women living with paralysis, their partners and/or any potential partners to learn about it. After all, we live in a day and age where we can see ads about Erectile Dysfunction almost everywhere. Why ignore sex when it comes to disability? That being said, I am sharing this article about Sex After Paralysis . It's time that everyone stops thinking that people who are paralyzed (or are even just a wheelchair user) don't have the same need for intimate touch or desire to have sex. Some just need to be more creative to accomplish the goal... nothing that a caring partner, some extra pillows/wedges and maybe some toys can't fix. AMPUTATION - Limb loss can be a profoundly traumatic physical change to adjust to and live with. Studies have shown that massage can be of help during the healing process, while learning to use a prosthesis and throughout life as an amputee. Massage can help with desensitization, improving circulation, controling swelling, phantom pain and more that you can read about in Amputee Rehabilitation and Care and Integration of Massage Therapy into Amputee Rehabilitation and Care.
As with the articles I linked to above on paralysis, the articles I provided on amputee rehab and care left out intimacy and sex too. Here's an article on Post-amputation intimacy: An amputee's case-sensitive investigation. I like this article because it was written by an amputee woman but she refers to male amputees too. Most people deal with poor body image from time to time. Some suffer performance anxiety too. It's hard to enjoy intimacy when you're not confident in your skin. Because of the major changes in their bodies, body image and performance anxiety are very common issues for amputees but they don't have to be. Remember what I said earlier... massage can help you learn about your body and get comfortable with it. When you get to know your body you'll be more comfortable with it and so will your partner/potential partners. Most people will be as comfortable or uncomfortable with your body as you are.... especially when it comes to sex. Relax. Teach them and let them learn about and enjoy your body. If balance, leverage, painful positions, etc. are problems you just need to be more creative to accomplish the goal... again, nothing that a caring partner, some extra pillows/wedges and maybe some toys can't fix. A sense of humor can help too. I know this because I speak from experience being married for 27 years to a man who is a paraplegic. ;o) Remember this from the article mentioned above... "In sex, there are no hard and fast rules. Preferences are as individual as people are."
|
I'm always happy to show people with physical disabilities how massage can help improve physical and mental well being. I'm especially happy to help our veterans with physical disabilities.
