DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF MASSAGE! Specialising in remedial and infant massage instruction. Catch the YOGABUG - kids yoga classes!
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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| Contact Name |
Sandra Katsikis |
| Address |
Head2Toe Physiotherapy & Podiatry (in Medical One)
14 Pascoe Vale Road
Victoria 3039
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| Phone | 03 9326 0168 | | Mobile | 0419 379 289 |
| Email |
Make an Enquiry
Request an Appointment
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SERVICES
Baby & Kids Massage Classes
General Information
Next group class details
Colic, wind and Constipation
Kids with Special Needs
The Science Behind the Magic
YogaBugs
Remedial Massage
Pregnancy Massage
Price list
Testimonials
Sandra Katsikis is a Remedial Massage Therapist (ACNM) and Certified Infant Massage Instructor (IMIS), and professional member of the Infant Massage Information Service (IMIS) and the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA). She was awarded the “Most Outstanding Student for the Diploma of Remedial Massage” in her graduating class.
In addition, she is also a trainer for IMIS in its national Infant Massage Instructor Training Courses. For more details about IMIS visit www.babymassage.org.au.
As a remedial massage therapist, Sandra is available by appointment on Saturdays 8am – 11am at Head2Toe Physiotherapy and Podiatry in Medical One, Moonee Ponds. Her aim in each treatment is to find any underlying causes of pain or discomfort and then address them using a combination of remedial massage techniques at a pressure tailored to suit each individual. Previous clients have described Sandra’s style as intuitive, caring and professional. For all appointments and enquiries, please contact Head2Toe reception on 9326 0168.
DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF BABY MASSAGE
WHY ATTEND AN INFANT MASSAGE COURSE?
My baby’s happy and healthy – what would we gain out of a baby massage class?
It’s fun! The look on a baby’s face the first time they have a massage is just priceless – often a unique combination of surprise and enjoyment! And once your baby has figured out this massage stuff is pretty good, they really can get quite excited about the whole thing!
One of the main reasons people choose to come along to a baby massage course is to help them bond with their baby. Massage can help with bonding and attachment because it helps parents tune into their baby. Parents learn their baby’s body language – do they want a massage; what strokes feel nice today; and intuitively respond using touch, their voice, and eye contact. This provides a great sense of security for the growing baby.
Perhaps some unexpected benefits also include body awareness and even language development. Massaged babies will have a great sense of where they are in space, and if mum or dad are telling their child what body part they are massaging, the child will quickly learn what each body part is called. My own example of this is my daughter, who, by the age of 20 months could point to and even vocalise head, eye, eyebrow, nose, cheeks, chin, neck, back, tummy, bottom, arms, hands, legs, knees and feet. This can be tremendously helpful in times when you need to communicate with your child about their body such as when your child is hurt.
My baby is so little – I’m scared I’ll do it wrong and hurt them.
The great thing about doing a baby massage class is that you learn a safe, effective massage sequence from a certified infant massage instructor. One of Sandra’s main objectives in the baby massage course is to make sure you are confident in massaging your baby or child by the end of the 4 week course. You’ll find that the massage sequence is really easy and you’ll learn just one part of the sequence each week, so you don’t get overwhelmed with too much in one go.
The other thing to remember is that some of the most compelling infant massage research has been done with premature babies. In one research study, babies showed a 53% weight gain and were released from hospital 5 days earlier than their non-massaged counterparts.
My child is a pre-schooler – aren’t they too old?
No, massage isn’t just for babies. Children of all ages need to feel secure and loved – so massage is a great thing to have during times of family stress (moving house, loss of a pet, starting kinder or school) , to help manage anxiety, and even anger and aggression, or just a way to have some wonderful 1:1 time and open your child up for conversations about what’s going on in their lives.
Of course, some parents are looking for natural ways to help their child. There are many researched benefits to practicing safe and effective massage techniques on your child. These include:
• Prevents and relieves colic, constipation and wind
• Assists with reflux
• Helps to overcome post-natal depression
• Can increase periods of deep sleep
• Strengthens the immune system
• Aids and stimulates digestion
• Enhances the parent – child bonding process
• Can provide relaxation as well as stimulation to the infant
As well as learning the full infant massage sequence, the course also teaches the best time to massage, appropriate oils to use, how to adapt the sequence for the growing child, and also some extra exercises and relaxation techniques that parents can use with their child.
WHO CAN ATTEND?
Parents, close caregivers and expectant parents. You can bring your baby along to the sessions to massage during the demonstration time at each class, or for expectant parents a baby doll is provided for use to help learn the strokes correctly.
Spare dolls are also available for situations where your baby doesn’t feel like a massage, or when both parents attend, one parent can learn on a doll whilst the other can learn on their baby.
COURSE OUTLINE
A standard course curriculum for the 4 session group class is as follows:
Session 1: Appropriate oils to use on babies; asking permission to massage; contraindications; strokes for the legs and buttocks; parent relaxation
Session 2: Benefits of infant massage; infant body language during massage; baby’s daily cycle and when to massage; bonding, strokes for the abdomen and chest; touch relaxation
Session 3: Massage adaptations for the older child; strokes for the face, arms and back; colic discussion and strokes for colic, wind and constipation
Session 4: Exercises to keep babies flexible and assist with lymphatic drainage, review of full body massage
Each session is of 1 hr duration over 4 weeks to allow you to gain experience and confidence in massaging your baby step-by-step. Class sizes are kept small (no more than 4 families) to allow for individual attention.
Classes are also designed to be flexible to allow you to meet the needs of your baby during the class and massage time is chosen to suit when most of the babies in the class will respond best to massage.
NEXT BABY MASSAGE MAGIC CLASS DETAILS:
Class Description & Dates:
NEXT 4-WEEK GROUP COURSE.
Dates: Saturday July 2nd - 23rd 2011 *** FULLY BOOKED ***
Dates: Saturday September 17th - October 15th, 2011 - no class October 1st. *** FULLY BOOKED ***
Time: 10:00am - 11:00am
Venue: Head2Toe Physiotherapy in Medical One , Moonee Ponds
Cost: $120 (Private health rebates may be available)
What to Bring: BYO Baby, bunny rug, nappies etc.
You are more than welcome to bring your own massage oil along, or you can purchase organic sesame oil at class ($16).
Class sizes limited to 3 families at Head2Toe classes.
PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS
Private consultations are also available and can be conducted at the Head2Toe clinic or in your own home. These suit people who are unable to make the group sessions, or prefer one on one learning.
Private consultations are also ideally suited for parents with special needs babies where the standard massage sequence and approach can be adapted and tailored to individual needs.
ONE HOUR INTRODUCTORY INFANT MASSAGE SESSIONS
These sessions are designed for mums groups and playgroups of up to 12 mums and bubs and teaches the basics of infant massage, including a mini massage to do with your baby. The organiser receives a complimentary Infant Massage Guide.
COLIC, WIND & CONSTIPATION CONSULTATION
Colic is painful, abdominal wind or intestinal spasms which presents symptoms including:
• A painful cry that can last for hours each day
• Pulling their legs towards their abdomen
• Crying at the same time each day (often late afternoon / early evening)
• A distended, firm abdomen during bouts of colic
Onset of colic can be as early as 2 weeks and can last months without assistance.
Colic can often be confused with both reflux and lactose intolerance, so it is recommended that parents consult with their doctor and child and maternal health nurse to discuss the problems their baby has been experiencing.
For cases of colic a simple massage sequence can be performed on the abdomen. The sequence taught in this consultation, if performed as instructed, will relieve the symptoms of colic in 2 – 4 weeks.
It is highly recommended that parents with babies experiencing colic book into a colic consultation 4 weeks before commencing any full infant massage course.
The same sequence can also be used as required for general wind and constipation, with infants generally experiencing a bowel movement within 24 hours of the massage.
KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Massage for infants and children with special needs has been well researched and shown many positive results. Conditions that have been shown through research to have benefitted from massage therapy include:
- asthma
- autism
- cancer
- dermatitis or eczema
- diabetes
- eating disorders (bulimia)
- juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- depression and conduct disorders
Research studies have also shown that premature babies greatly benefit from massage. One study conducted at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine showed that stable preterm infants gained 53% more weight and had more time in the drowsy state at the end of just 5 days of massage therapy when compared with the control group.
According to Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute, massage therapy has generally resulted in lower anxiety levels, lower levels of stress hormones, better mood and improved clinical progress along with numerous condition specific findings.
Many of these research articles can be found on the Touch Research Institute website http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/About.html .
How Do I Learn How to Massage My Special Child?
These consultations are normally done as private appointments over 4 weeks to allow you to learn and apply a modified massage sequence tailored for your child.
There is an inital appointment (either in person or over the phone) to gain as much information about your child and their needs as possible. Depending on your child's condition some correspondance with their paediatrician or specialist may also be required.
A custom massage sequence is then designed and taught over the period of the course and, with your weekly feedback, can be fine-tuned or modified as the need arises.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE MAGIC
Many people think that massaging your baby is just something that’s nice to do – but did you know that research has shown numerous benefits of massage, not only for babies and children, but also the parent or carer who provides the massage. Here’s an explanation of just some of the benefits that research studies have uncovered.
Improves sleep
Regular massage has been shown to increase periods of deep sleep by increasing levels of the hormone serotonin. Along with a number of other functions, serotonin is responsible for regulating sleep patterns by stimulating the release of the hormone, melatonin. Melatonin is the “body clock” hormone, which is secreted more at night to induce sleep and when released during the day is associated with napping. In order to produce sufficient amounts of melatonin to help us sleep, our bodies need to produce adequate levels of serotonin during the day, which massage can assist with.
Enhances mood, reduces anxiety and stress hormone levels
As well as regulating sleep, Serotonin is believed to play an important role in regulating mood and appetite with low levels being linked with anger, aggressive behaviour, inattentiveness, depression and irritable bowel syndrome.
Another hormone, dopamine is responsible for alertness, excitement, feelings of euphoria, and mental sharpness. A lack of dopamine can result in apathy, lack of remorse with regard to behaviour, anxiety and sadness.
Massage has been shown to increase levels of both serotonin and dopamine.
In a study comparing babies who were rocked versus babies who were massaged, the massaged babies fell asleep faster, were more alert when awake, were more easily soothed and had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than the rocked babies.
Enhances attachment and bonding
It is well accepted among psychologists that developing strong parental bonds and attachment during infancy is extremely important to the overall wellbeing of a child. Research has connected a lack of bonding and touch with a condition known as failure to thrive syndrome, where a child, though physically nourished with food, fails to retain or utilize the calories needed to gain weight and grow as expected. In contrast, a baby that has a loving and attentive physical and emotional environment will likely develop a basic sense of trust in others, confidence that he is lovable and that the world is a pleasurable place to be.
While massage is not the only means for parents to achieve a positive bond with their baby, it is considered extremely effective in establishing and maintaining the parent / child bond as it incorporates all the elements of bonding including eye contact, skin-to-skin contact, smell and voice all of which are comforting to a baby.
In addition to this, research has also shown massage increases levels of the hormone oxytocin which is responsible for stimulating positive maternal behaviour, as well as cementing other relationships between people. Levels of endorphins – our “feel-good” or “reward” hormone is also increased. Studies have shown that these hormones are not only released in the baby, but also the person giving the massage. In this way, infant massage can also help mothers recover from post-natal depression.
Increases body awareness
Touch or “stroking” is the fundamental act of recognition for a child. Through it the child learns the physical outline and shape of their body. By massaging your child from birth they learn where they are in space – how much space their growing bodies take up. In addition, if their parent explains to them which body part they are massaging they can have an extraordinary appreciation of their various body parts at a young age, which can be very helpful when they hurt themselves or are in pain. They also have a more holistic understanding of their body, so if you were to ask a massaged child where their arm was they would rub their entire arm, as opposed to pointing to a specific place on their arm, as a picture book may do.
Helps reflux
Massage on any part of the body stimulates a nerve in the brain called the Vagus nerve. This nerve branches out to control various regions of the respiratory and digestive systems. Also, massage speeds nerve maturation by speeding a process called myelination. This results in nerves being capable of operating faster and more effectively. Since, in many cases, infant reflux is caused by immaturity of the sphincter muscle (which lies between the oesophagus and the stomach), more effective nerve operation should result in improved muscle operation and control.
In addition to this, the release of endorphins may help with reducing any pain the baby may be experiencing as a result of reflux. Babies with reflux can also suffer from constipation which can be relieved with simple abdominal massage strokes.
Want to read more? Here's a fantastic website to check out:
Touch In Labour and Infancy: Clinical Implications - A current Guide for the Healthcare Professional
References
1. Borer, K.T., 2003, “Exercise Endocrinolgy”, Chapter 1, pp1-3, Human Kinetics, USA
2. Griffin, Ojeda, 1996, “Textbook of Endocrine Physiology, 3rd edition”, Oxford University Press, USA
3. Tortora, G.J., Grabowski, S.R., 2000,“Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 9th edition“, John Wiley and Sons
4. Miranda-Cardenas, et al., May 2006; “Oxytocin and electrical stimulation of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus produce antinociceptive effects that are reversed by an oxytocin antagonist”, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16527400
5. Burgess, N., Read, S., “Beautiful Birth”
6. Moberg, K.U., 2003, “The Oxytocin Factor: Tapping the Hormone of Calm, Love, and Healing”, DeCapo Press
7. Moritz, Andreas, 2007, “The Wonders of Our Biological Rhythms”, www.naturalnews.com/022210_melatonin_health_biological_rhythms.html
8. www.childwisdom.org/serotonin/, viewed 22 September, 2009
9. www.asktom-naturally.com/articles/addictive.html, viewed, 22 Sept, 2009
10. http://www.childwisdom.org/dopamine/, viewed 22 September, 2009
11. Rattray, F., Ludwig, L. 2005, “Clinical Massage Therapy”, eleventh edition, Talus Inc.
12. McLoughlin, H. 2007,” Infant Massage Information Service: Infant Massage Training Manual and Student Handbook”, third edition, version 2, IMIS
13. Various research studies conducted by Tiffany Field et al, Touch Research Institute, Miami. http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/About.html
YOGABUGS
YogaBugs is an internationally recognised yoga program specialising in yoga for children aged 3 – 12 years. The classes are fun, creative and interactive and designed to stimulate children’s imagination, to improve their co-ordination, strength and flexibility and teach them breathing and relaxation techniques.
Younger children are introduced to traditional yoga postures through games, story-telling and magical adventures! Children fly on mystical birds, float on magic carpets, ride supersonic space shuttles to the moon and become part of a circus!
In Yog’d Up, older children explore yoga through themes such as “Animal Passport” and “Yoga for Your Mind and Body”. Children are active participants in the classes and learn how to use their yoga in everyday life – whether it be to help them with other sports they enjoy, to manage stressful situations or simply to improve their breathing.
Public classes available in Brunswick and Essendon. YogaBugs incursions can also be arranged at your school or daycare centre.
For more information about the YogaBugs program visit
YogaBugs Australia Website - YogaBugs Moonee Ponds information
REMEDIAL MASSAGE
The effects of massage are both physiological and pyschological in nature. Massage can be effective in reducing and managing pain, increasing blood and lymphatic circluation and reducing stress and anxiety along with giving you a feeling of well being. Sandra uses a number of soft tissue remedial massage techniques to relieve:
- headaches and migraine
- back and neck pain
- muscular aches and pains
PREGNANCY MASSAGE
Having been through 2 pregnancies herself, Sandra has a special interest in pregnancy massage and helping mums relieve their aches and pains in the post partum period.
All of Sandra's pregnancy massages are actually done on a specially made futon which is on the floor and makes the massage experience safe, comfortable and even allows baby to come along and cuddle up with mum for post-natal massage sessions. Sandra's pregnancy massage approach has been developed under the tutelage of Suzanne Yates of Well Mother from the UK and is appropriate for mums-to-be from the 1st trimester..
SPECIAL PREGNANCY MASSAGE OFFER - LIMITED AVAILABILITY
Enjoy 3 1 hour pregnancy massage sessions, 1 labour and birth support session with your partner and 10% off any baby massage 4 week course after your baby is born. All for just $200.
At least one massage session must be during the pre-natal period.
PRICE LIST
INFANT MASSAGE COURSES
Note: All parent classes are 1 hour duration for 4 sessions. $40 deposit required on booking, balance required by 2nd session.
All prices are per family (mum, dad and bub).
Group parent course (3 - 4 families) $120
Private course $240 (includes oil)
Tailored course for children with special needs (includes oil) $260
“Bring a friend” class - Organiser receives complimentary IMIS Manual valued at $21
2 families $180
3-4 families $120
Colic consultation (45 minutes plus followup) $65
Introductory Session (min. 4 families) $25
REMEDIAL & PREGNANCY MASSAGE
1 hour $78
COMBINED SERVICES
Mum & Bub Massage Time $390 (includes oil)
• Four 90 minute sessions (45 minute massage for mum followed by private infant massage course) – BYO babysitter for uninterrupted massage time!
PRODUCTS
Infant Massage
IMIS Organic Sesame Massage Oil (125 ml) $16
IMIS Infant Massage Instruction Manual $21*
IMIS Parent DVD $35
* only available for sale in conjunction with 4-week infant massage class
Billie Baby and Billie Goat Soap Range
Billie Baby Soap Bars $9.95
Billie Baby Body Wash $15.95
Billie Baby Bath Soak $12.95
Ask about
* Gift certificates
* Fundraising
* Hosting your own infant massage class for your friends or mothers group
* Mum & Bub massage time
TESTIMONIALS
I (and my baby) really enjoyed the massage class. The different massages were easy to learn and Sandra is a great teacher. I am actually missing the weekly class now. I loved learning each new massage and so did my baby. Her reflux has improved so much that she is no longer on any medication which is great after being medicated for almost 9 months (and my washing has gone down heaps too)! My only wish is that I had learnt the massages sooner!
Anita, Strathmore
I liked the group massage sessions and Sandra is a great teacher.
Tina, Keilor East
I enjoyed the practical sessions on our own babies!. It was nice to see their facial expressions when we performed the massage techniques on them. What I loved the most was the facial massage techniques. I use it when he is struggling to get to sleep.
Belinda, East Brunswick
Websites of interest
Head2Toe Physiotherapy and Podiatry
Infant Massage Information Service
Touch Research Institute Website
Birth Your online guide to Pregnancy and Birth
Usenature.com
Soothing Souls Website
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
Diploma of Remedial Massage (ACNM)
Certified Infant Massage Instructor (IMIS)
Certificate IV in Training and Assesment
YogaBugs Moonee Ponds Regional Manager
MAP
Connective Tissue Massage, Corporate Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Infant Massage, Pregnancy Massage, Remedial Massage, Remedial Therapies, Sports Massage, Swedish Relaxation Massage
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