Research published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (IJTMB) found that older adults who receive massage therapy for up to six weeks could benefit from decreased blood pressure and improved stability.
Falls in older adults represent a primary cause of decreased mobility and independence, increased morbidity, and accidental death. Research and clinical reports indicate that therapeutic massage (TM) may positively influence suggested causative factors. This project assessed the effects of six weeks of TM treatment on balance, nervous system, and cardiovascular measures in older adults.
Results:
The TM group showed significant differences relative to controls in cardiovascular and displacement area/velocity after the week six session, with decreasing blood pressure and increasing stability over time from immediate post-TM to 60 minutes post-TM. Long-term differences between the groups were detected at week seven in displacement area/velocity and systolic blood pressure.
Conclusions:
Results suggest six weeks of TM resulted in immediate and long-term improvements in postural stability and blood pressure, compared to a controlled condition.
In a study published in the March 2014 issue of the journal Burns, 146 burn patients with scars were randomly divided into two groups. All patients received standard rehabilitation therapy for hypertrophic scars – known as raised scars that are typically red, thick and may be itchy or painful—and 76 patients received additional burn scar rehabilitation massage therapy. Both before and after the treatment, researchers assessed the scar characteristics for thickness, melanin, erythema, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), sebum, and elasticity.
Results
While both groups showed improvement, the massage group showed a significant decrease in scar thickness, melanin, erythema, and TEWL. There was a significant intergroup difference in skin elasticity with the massage group showing substantial improvement.
Conclusion
Researchers concluded that burn rehabilitation massage therapy is effective in improving pain, itching, and scar characteristics in hypertrophic scars after a burn.
Cho YS, Jeon JH, Hong A, Yang HT, Yim H, Cho YS, Kim DH, Hur J, Kim JH, Chun W, Lee BC, Seo CH. The effect of burn rehabilitation massage therapy on hypertrophic scar after burn: A randomized controlled trial. Burns. 2014 Dec;40(8):1513-20
As Inaugural President of a new brand of cricket for kids with disability, Nicki developed health and first aid policy, and liaised with Cricket NSW.
Blind Cricket
As an accredited Cricket Australia Coach, Nicki has worked with the Aussie Blind Cricket Team and both the NSW and ACT Blind Cricket Teams. She has also worked as Team Therapist and Trainer.
In 2008 she was on the organising committee which hosted the Inaugural Australian Blind Cricket Ashes, and acted as Team Therapist for Australia. She also acted as Tournament Therapist for the 2010 Nationals in Sydney.
Patron of the Inaugural Australian Blind Cricket Ashes 2008 Tour, Richie Benaud, meets Nicki Cooke
Wheelchair Sport
Since 1998 Nicki has provided remedial massage, sports injury therapy and first response to athletes with disability. With experience at Olympic, Paralympic and World Cup level, Nicki has also travelled to Paris for the French Open (Wheelchair) Tennis, and worked with the WheelBlacks and Australian Steelers at International level.
Rehabilitation
The last 20% of recovery from injury, accident or illness takes 80% of the time and effort. It is challenging for therapists and frustrating for clients. Often a cheerful word and a fun approach to rehab helps to change mindsets and break down psychological barriers to progress. Research in neuroplasticity cause and effect has resulted in significant improvements for clients.
Masters Sport
Working with Masters Athletes requires a lateral approach, and Nicki feels that athletes at elite level in Masters sport have the most to gain from her experience. Usually therapists aspire to work with young elite athletes so Masters is an area with a paucity of therapy options. Thus she has found a willing and motivated group.
Nicki at the Indoor Cricket Masters World Series, 2010
Indoor Cricket
Both N.Z. and Australia have benefited from Nicki’s care. In South Africa in 2011, for Opens, and Masters Gold Coast for Australia, the teams under her watchful eye made a clean sweep of all 5 grades.
The N.Z. teams at Masters level took bronze, silver and gold in South Africa in 2013, and their Over 40 Men’s Team took Silver in the 2015 Australian Masters Championships.
Nicki Cooke went to Adelaide for the 2019 Australian Indoor Cricket Masters Championships, as Team Therapist for the New Zealand Central and Northern masters sides.
Nicki came to the rescue for my daughter with severe disability. She had been placed in the ‘too-hard basket’ for many disability therapists but Nicki saw the potential and wanted to help relieve her pain. She took the time to build trust and now my daughter shows such excitement when Continue Reading
Nicki really helped me recover from a knee reconstruction last year which I seriously believed would never allow me to able to play soccer again. However after just a few sessions I was able to begin to run again and ended up playing the majority of the following season. She Continue Reading
After suffering back problems since I was 12 (over 15 years) and going through the usual drama of GP to physiotherapist and back to heavy duty painkillers, I was at the point where I was considering surgery and possibly unable to carry my own children while pregnant. I had not Continue Reading
Treats the root cause of problems rather than the symptoms
Nicki’s knowledge of the muscular make up of the human body is incredible – she treats the root cause of the problems rather than the symptoms, which has meant that I have not missed a single day of cricket for the last 3 years. (Updated 28/7/16) …and ten years later, Continue Reading
IC Sports Therapies was established in 1995, and our team practices Sports Therapy using a wide range of techniques (including Remedial Massage, Sports Massage, Physiotherapy, Shockwave Therapy, Deep Tissue Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Lymphatouch Negative Pressure Therapy, Sports Injury Therapy, Balance Assessment & Correction, Low-level Laser (a.k.a. Cold Laser) Therapy, and Pain Management & Rehabilitation) at our Clinic in Hornsby, New South Wales.
What can we do for you?
Our qualified and professional therapists are highly skilled and can address issues such as sports injuries and personal fitness, headaches, stiff necks, sore shoulders, low back pain, tired heavy legs, ACL injuries, foot pain, lymphedema, plantar fasciitis, and general aches and pains.
Shockwave Therapy offers fast pain relief and mobility restoration. Together with being a non-surgical therapy with no need for painkillers, this makes it an ideal therapy to speed up recovery and cure various indications causing acute or chronic pain.
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