Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Now Offers Massage Therapy

Friday, November 12, 2004

New Brunswick - Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) has added massage therapy to the list of services offered through its Integrative Healing Program, a wellness initiative consisting of alternative therapies to complement traditional medical practices in treating patients.

"Massage therapy dates back more than 4,000 years, and is often used to relieve tension and muscular pain, improve circulation and muscle tone, lower blood pressure, increase range of motion and reduce anxiety," said Marianne Balay, MS, RN, Assistant Vice President for Women's Health and Integrative Medicine Initiatives at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Massage therapy services are provided in the hospital through the Piscataway-based Cortiva-Somerset School of Massage Therapy. Students will be working under the supervision of instructors.

The Integrative Healing Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital now offers eleven therapies for hospital inpatients, including acupuncture, harp therapy, therapeutic touch and Reiki. All services are free of charge, with the exception of a physician fee for acupuncture sessions.

The hospital will also be adding reflexology in the coming months. Reflexology is an ancient practice of applying pressure to specific parts of the feet and hands. A reflexology treatment is deeply relaxing and helps to reduce stress, relieve pain, increase circulation and enhance well-being.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Selected as one of four hospitals nationwide to offer the world's first self-contained implantable artificial heart, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.rwjuh.edu) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care in medicine. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women's and children's care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.

The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for both heart and heart surgery and respiratory disorders, according to U.S.News & World Report's 2008 ranking of "America's Best Hospitals." The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years.

Attention members of the media: For more information on this release, please contact the Department of Public Relations (732) 937-8521.