Community

International Program: 2008 Global Outreach

SISTEM’s mission has been to implement massage as a standard component of athlete care. Along the way, we’ve also utilized massage to work with individuals to be proactive regarding their health.

In 2007, the UNAIDS and World Health Organization reported that an estimated 33.2 million people are living with HIV and AIDS worldwide. South Africa is still currently experiencing one of the most severe epidemics.

While massage cannot cure HIV and AIDS, clinical studies in recent years have linked massage therapy to an increase in T4 cell count, thereby bolstering the immune system. This, in turn, diminishes the amount of medications needed. Medications are often unavailable to underserved communities. In these cases, massage therapy is an effective solution for managing symptoms such as indigestion, neuropathies, general malaise and overall diminishing health.

SISTEM’s Global Outreach branch is launching its first international program in an effort to impact this epidemic. Our program is about training and education. Our goal is teach local individuals our HIV/AIDS massage protocol so that they may impact their health and that of their community.