The massage exercises and deep breathing exercises may be used with benefit in certain stages of different diseases. This should, of course, be done only on the recommendation of a physician.
Inasmuch as the same disease does not attack all people to the same degree, it is, of course, impossible to state exactly when or at which stage of a disease the patient might begin to practice the exercises. Neither can it be said precisely how long an exercise or performance shall last in each case; it will vary from five to twenty minutes. This is a matter for the family physician to decide; however, the following hints may be in order. If the use of the exercises practiced moderately is recommended, begin them slowly for five or ten minutes daily (or as long as advised by the doctor) with a light pressure of the hands, and continue thus for several days. The exercises can then be made more vigorous by increasing the pressure of the hands to a moderate or stronger degree. The time can then likewise be increased to fifteen or twenty minutes in proportion to the improvement in the condition and strength of the performer.
It is not meant to imply that it is necessary to immediately hurry to a doctor or hospital when disorders of a mild character occur; for instance, a slight pain or stiffness in the muscles of one of the limbs or other part of the body, a headache, obesity without complications or slight constipation.
If three or more massage exercises are recommended for one performance, a general deep breathing exercise can likewise be practiced between each of those.
Here may be noted, especially for the interest of physicians, the particular exercises which are most suitable for use in various diseases. There are other conditions than the ones mentioned below, in which the exercises might be used with benefit, but the following are the most important:
- Anaemia
- Headache
- Disorders of the Digestive System
- Disorders of the Liver
- Diabetes
- Affections of the Lungs
- Disordered Conditions of the Heart
- Insomnia
- Muscular Disorders
- Nervous Diseases
- Obesity
- Curvature of the Spine
ANAEMIA
All the massage exercises may be practiced once or twice daily. In addition, all the deep breathing exercises may be done separately, without strain, for five or ten minutes, twice daily.
HEADACHE
Here special reference is made to massage exercise No. 1, although all the exercises will prove of indirect benefit.
DISORDERS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
(Constipation—Gas in the Stomach—Stasis—Dilatation of the Stomach—Chronic Dyspepsia—Deficient Peristaltic Action, etc.)
Reference is here made especially to massage exercise No. 10, and also to Nos. 3 and 5. All the deep breathing exercises may be used. If the patient is so weak that the trunk cannot be bent much, No. 10 may be practiced first and Nos. 3 and 5 later. No. 10 can even be practiced by patients confined to bed.
For dilatation of the stomach, chronic dyspepsia and conditions of stasis, No. 10 is very beneficial, and may be used for ten or fifteen minutes two or three times a day. It causes contraction of the stomach, the pylorus is opened and the contents are emptied into the duodenum. Sour and burning eructations, bad breath and taste in the mouth will disappear. In these cases it is best to practice the exercise from four to five hours after a meal. (The massage movements in No. 10 has been taught by the author to several mothers from out of town, who have applied them with success to their babies suffering from gas in the stomach and indigestion caused by nervous disorders.)
In order to increase the flow of bile, pancreatic juice and the succus entericus and to get a mixture of these, a well-known medical authority in Europe massaged (stroking and pressing) the abdomen from the right side toward the median line for about half an hour after the stomach digestion had ceased. The average amount of the juices thus obtained in each of twenty cases was from 40 to 50 c.c. This movement is included in massage exercise No. 10 and also somewhat in exercises Nos. 3 and 5.
In a case of a dropped stomach or colon, a special movement of stroking and pressing (especially with the fingers) may be used across the abdomen in an upward direction, from each opposite side of the lower abdomen, thus crossing the abdomen with each hand, alternately.
A good movement for breaking up adhesions in the region of the appendix is stroking with the fingers of the right hand (pressing on top with the left) upward over the appendix, the ascending colon and then continuing over the transverse colon. For adhesions in the left side of the abdomen a similar movement with the fingers of the left hand is recommended. Massage exercises Nos. 10 and 3 are also here beneficial.
In order to relieve the bowels of their distension, one doctor in New York advocated massaging the abdomen thirty hours after operations for appendicitis and hernia.
DISORDERS OF THE LIVER
Reference is here made to massage exercises Nos. 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 14 and 14 A, as well as to all the deep breathing exercises.
They will stimulate the secretion of the bile from the blood and cause readier transformation of excess sugar into glycogen.
The massage exercises are also beneficial for hepatic engorgement.
DIABETES
All the massage and deep breathing exercises are recommended for the reason that they cause an increased oxygenation in all parts of the body and will therefore help to prevent abnormal deposits of sugar.
AFFECTIONS OF THE LUNGS
(Pneumonia—Tuberculosis—Asthma)
Massage exercises Nos. 2 and 14 are here especially referred to as well as all the deep breathing exercises.
Convalescence from pneumonia has been shortened and eased by massaging the painful muscles which are at times concomitants of lung affections.
The massaging over the chest will cause freer breathing and expectoration.
In the first stage of tuberculosis all the massage exercises done with a light or moderate pressure and all the deep breathing exercises, practiced once or twice daily are beneficial.
In asthma all the exercises are likewise recommended.
DISORDERED CONDITIONS OF THE HEART
In severe cases, massage exercises Nos. 2 and 14 may be used, with a light pressure for five minutes, two or three times a day. The special deep breathing exercise No. 2 and the general deep breathing exercises may also be practiced slowly and without strain.
For milder cases reference is made to massage exercises Nos. 2, 4, 5, 9, 13 and 14.
INSOMNIA
All the massage exercises practiced for ten or fifteen minutes without exertion half an hour before going to bed are recommended.
MUSCULAR DISORDERS
(Stiffness and Pain—Atrophy and Distrophy—Lumbago)
For stiffness in the neck, use massage exercise No. 1.
For stiffness in the shoulders, massage exercise No. 12 is beneficial.
For muscular disturbance in an arm, massage exercise No. 2 is recommended.
For pain in the muscles of the lower back, massage exercises Nos. 6 and 8 are very beneficial.
For muscular disturbance in the lower limbs, massage exercises Nos. 3 and 3 A may be used.
For stiffness in the muscles of the upper chest, massage exercises Nos. 12 and 14 are indicated.
NERVOUS DISEASES
(Neuritis—Neuralgia—Sciatica—General Nervousness or Neurasthenia)
In any kind of nervous disease of a mild character, all the massage exercises and the deep breathing exercises might be practiced two or three times a day.
For neuritis or neuralgia in the arms, massage exercise No. 2 can be practiced, after the acute stage has passed.
For facial neuralgia, massage exercise No. 1 is recommended, with stroking from each cheek instead of from the temple.
In sciatica, massage exercise No. 3 is beneficial; if the attack is severe exercise No. 3 A may be used.
In cases of general nervousness or debility resulting from overwork, strain or other cause, all the massage exercises can be used from ten to twenty minutes two or three times a day, according to the condition of the patient.
In cases of partial paralysis of an arm or leg, exercises Nos. 2, 3 or 3 A may be used respectively.
OBESITY
All the massage and deep breathing exercises are recommended.
If most pronounced, about the waist, reference is especially made to massage exercises Nos. 3, 3 A, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 14 A.
In the case that the heart and other organs are not especially affected, the performer may practice these massage exercises with a strong pressure for twenty minutes or more, or until practically tired out.
CURVATURE OF THE SPINE
Although all the massage exercises may here be used with benefit, Nos. 6, 8, 13, 5 and 1 are especially referred to.
In hospitals where children (mostly girls from ten to sixteen years of age) attend gymnastic classes for correction of the spine no massage treatment is given them as a rule. This is probably because there is no time for both exercises and massage treatment. The latter, however, would greatly help to nourish and strengthen the weak muscles which are associated with curvatures of the spine.
In massage exercises Nos. 6 and 8, and to a lesser degree in Nos. 13 and 5, massage of each side of the back (except the uppermost parts) is obtained at the same time. No. 1 is included in the ones especially recommended, because the movements of the arms in this exercise strengthens the upper part of the back.
In all diseased or disordered conditions, proper breathing at all times should be remembered.