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Massage powerful tool to help heal age-related illness -By Judy Creighton, The Canadian Press Libor Divilek can't forget how grateful the 100-year-old wheelchair-bound patient with Parkinson's disease was after he gave him a massage. As the 36-year-old therapist moved his hands gently across the man's shoulders and along his back, the old man would visibly relax and appear more comfortable. He had been virtually abandoned by his family and he liked to talk about his years in both World Wars. "After we finished treatment, he'd say he felt so much better emotionally and physically," said the Czechoslovakian-born Divilek. "There were times in those sessions where I felt I was replacing some family member as I held his hand and listened to his tales." Because Parkinson's affects the central nervous system, Divilek would use massage to "calm down the tremors and shaking." Massage therapy is one of the oldest existing health-care practices, dating back 4,000 years in China. Although it's only recently gained widespread acceptance in Canada, massage is considered an essential component of physical and mental health care throughout Western and Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, massage has carried a taint of two misconceptions: first, it's something shady done in dimly lit parlors; second, it's a self-indulgence for the rich and famous. "But massage therapy can help ease many problems associated with age, including arthritis, high blood pressure and muscular aches and pains," says Divilek. Massage can also help relax and stretch tight muscles, improving circulation, freeing trapped nerves and alleviating pain, he adds. Like his colleagues, Divilek became a registered massage therapist after completing 2,200 hours of intensive anatomical, physiological and clinical studies at a vocational massage therapy school in Toronto. He is a member of the College of Massage Therapy of Ontario, one of two licensing bodies in Canada. The other is in B.C. Although he also treats younger patients with everything from sport injuries to muscle spasms and post-injury rehabilitation, Divilek believes an aging population will benefit from massage therapy. "Many of my older patients complain about stiffness and discomfort of the lower and upper back," he says, adding that he gives a lot of body, back and shoulder massages for such conditions. Massage therapy can help people with arthritis, says Divilek, "by relaxing the tissues around sore joints, muscles and ligaments." He has even used massage therapy to bring comfort to patients with the debilitating bone disease osteoporosis. "Again, it is a matter of maintaining the soft tissue to give flexibility and most of all improve circulation in the area." A typical massage session can last 30 minutes to one hour, he says. The patient, who can be partially or fully undressed, is wrapped in a sheet or towel and lies on a specially designed massage table. Divilek said when choosing a massage therapist, it's wise to consult with a physician or contact the Ontario Massage Therapist Association at 1-800-668-2022 for referrals across Canada. "Unfortunately, provincial health plans don't cover massage therapy and it can be quite expensive, especially for cash-strapped seniors who aren't covered under private health plans," he says. Judy Creighton welcomes letters at The Canadian Press, 36 King St. E., Toronto, Ont., M5C 2L9, but cannot promise to answer all correspondence personally. CP 1109ES 01-07-97