Expecting? How pregnancy massage can help you
Pregnancy massage? For many people is not usually to listen about it. However, one of the most beneficial times to receive a massage is during pregnancy. But, what is exactly a pregnancy massage and what are its benefits? These and more questions will be answered in this blog. I hope you enjoy it, let´s start
What is pregnancy massage?
Pregnancy massage is a gentle, harmonic, soft tissue, hands-on massage treatment, which helps to reduce muscle and joint tension during the course of pregnancy. It is also known as an antenatal massage.
Why should I get massage treatment while expecting my baby?
Regular massage helps to maintain a good posture throughout pregnancy by continuously adjusting misalignments, caused by the growing baby. In addition, it is important to increase muscle tone and flexibility for an easier pregnancy and baby delivery experience.
What are the benefits of a pregnancy massage?
During pregnancy, regular massages helps you to:
- relax and promote overall wellness
- reduce stress, anxiety and depression
- relieve insomnia; leg cramping; muscle spasms; carpal tunnel pain, etc.
- alleviate headaches and sinus congestion.
- relieve many of the normal discomforts experienced while expecting, such as pain in the back, neck, legs and head.
- increase blood and lymph circulation throughout the body. Which in turn can help to reduce stress on any weight-bearing joints.
- relieve feelings caused by hormonal changes (deal with mood changes).
How you get relieve with pregnancy massage
Swelling/oedema
Lower joint inflammation is pretty usual. In most cases, it is caused by the reduction of blood and lymph circulation through your body. On the other hand, there is a higher pressure on the blood vessels of your lower part of your body (pelvis, limbs, etc.) produced by your growing uterus.
Pregnancy massage helps to stimulate the lymphatic system, reducing the accumulation of fluids in swollen joints (as long as that swelling isn’t a result of preeclampsia) , as well as, increasing the removal of toxins and wastes.
Nerve Pain
As the baby grows inside your uterus, it gets heavier and makes pressure on your lower back and pelvic floor. This can cause swelling and irritate your Sciatic nerve, causing pain in your lower back, glutes and legs. Pregnancy massage helps to release tension on these muscles reducing nerve pressure and relieving pain.
Hormonal changes
Massages therapy improves cardiovascular health and helps with mood regulation. Recent studies show that women who had a fortnightly massage showed a reduction in hormone levels such as Cortisol and Norepinephrine (associated with stress). On the other hand, Dopamine and Serotonin (the ‘good mood’ hormones) increased. When you keep these hormone levels stable, it leads to fewer complications during birth.
Heartburn
During the later stages of your pregnancy period, your digestive system become sluggish in order to allow the baby to absorb more vital nutrients. Unfortunately, this may cause you constipation and heartburn. And, if you have high stress levels, it makes these symptoms get worse. As I mention before, massage can help to reduce stress, anxiety and muscle tension, helping you to get relieve from heartburn and constipation.
Anaemia
It’s important to remember that your body is undergoing increased demands of vitamins, nutrients and minerals during this period of time; for that reason, iron deficiency is quite common. Massage helps to stimulate circulation, aiding the increase of red blood count and haemoglobin.
How is it done?
Pregnancy massage experts use a range of different techniques to adapt to the changes your body undergoes during pregnancy. According to the expecting stage you are, your therapist will use different methods and multiple techniques that can address your specific requests and needs.
A final word
Many pregnant women experience blood volume rise, which can put you at risk of blood clots in the legs. Therefore, many massage specialists will opt to avoid deep massage and strong pressure on the legs. However, if you are experiencing pain and discomfort in your legs, this does not mean leg massages need to be avoided altogether. Instead, masseuses will opt for very light, slow strokes on the legs moving towards the heart, which can also work very well.
We hope this information is useful for you. If you need advice or have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. We are always happy to help. If you like this blog, please share!
