Pregnancy And The Benefits Of Therapeutic
Massage. Anyone who has been pregnant can tell
you that the body stretching to accommodate
another body can lead to many aches and pains
that are a part of the many months process one
goes through in order to produce that bundle of
joy.
Massage can help to alleviate these aches
and pains by giving you the ability to relax
and reduce stress. It allows for relief of
muscle cramping, spasms and myofascial pain of
the lower back, neck, hips and legs.
It can increase blood and lymph circulation,
which can reduce the swelling experienced in
pregnancy. It can reduce the stress felt on
weight-bearing joints (knees and hips). It can
also ease the pain of labor and improve the
outcome of laboring muscles.
It improves the flexibility of skin and the
underlying tissues. It can also provide support
for the mother-to-be and the new mother in
physical and emotional ways. A pregnant woman
who is thinking of using massage therapy should
investigate any therapist she is thinking of
using to assure herself that the therapist is
not only a licensed therapist but that she is
experienced in doing "pregnancy
massage".
Pregnancy massage requires special training
to explore techniques that are safe for the
mother and her unborn baby. Not every therapist
is qualified or trained to do massage on
pregnant and postpartum women, so you have to
ask.
There are many ways that a pregnancy massage
differs from a regular massage. The therapist
must be knowledgeable about the pregnant body
and it's very special needs that are based on
the changing structure of the body. The
positioning during a massage will be different
for the pregnant body from that of the
non-pregnant body.
It is critical for the safety of the mom and
unborn baby that correct positioning be used.
There are also parts of the pregnant body that
should not be massaged. The massage table
should be set up so that the pregnant woman is
in a semi-reclining position.
This position will be safe for the baby and
comfortable for the mom-to-be. Body pillows
should be used for when you need to switch body
positions from side to side or from back to
hips.
The therapists should use these pillows and any
extra padding necessary to make you comfortable
during the massage. Tables that have the hole
cut out for your belly put undo stress on your
back and should not be used.
Sometimes scents can disturb the pregnant
woman and should be told to the therapist if
this is the case as most will use candles,
music and low lighting to help relax massage
clients.
The removal of clothing is always between
you and your therapist and should be based
on your comfort level. Some prefer to
unclothe and wear only the sheets provided,
while others prefer to wear intimate
clothing such as panties and bra as well as
being covered by sheets.
Theraputic Massage Terms and
Facts.
During
pregnancy, it can seem that
everything is forbidden, and
that whenever you do more than
breathe it is under a cloud of
dire warnings from the
doctors.
Massage therapy
during pregnancy brings many of
the same warnings: some
therapists are reluctant to
conduct massage during the
first three months of
pregnancy, and doctors will
often advise that massage
should avoid the abdomen and
lower back.
With these
precautions, though, massage is
particularly appropriate during
pregnancy.
The physical
and emotional stresses involved
in pregnancy often lead to
pain, which can be alleviated
by massage. Back pain is
particularly common.
Similarly,
massage can benefit the
circulation – another part of
the human body which is
stretched to its limit during
pregnancy.
And that's
leaving aside the psychological
benefits, reducing the tension
and worry of pregnancy.
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The massage should in no way make you
stressed or to feel uncomfortable, as the
whole point of the massage is to relax you
and to relieve stresses.
Therapeutic massage can also be used during
labor to help relieve the pain and
discomforts felt during this happy but
physically stressing event.
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