Pregnancy And Massage Therapy

When you are pregnant, your body is under tremendous pressure. Everything hurts, everything aches. But how can you get relief from this tension and stress. Massage after all is out of the question, isn't it? Well maybe not. Many massage therapists today specialize in Prenatal Massages.

You may wonder how a prenatal massage differs from traditional massage. Well, your therapists will use a variety of different massage techniques. The techniques they use will concentrate on a woman's, neck, back and pelvic regions. These are of course the areas most often negatively affected by a pregnancy. If you are modest, don't worry, your therapist will be able to customize the massage to you while respecting your personal limits. Another big difference in a prenatal massage is your position. Since you cannot and should not lay on your stomach, you will most often be laid on your side with pillows for support. While there are special tables designed to allow room for a pregnant belly, most therapists will prefer to have you rest on your side.

The benefits of massage during pregnancy are numerous. When you are under stress, your body produces stress hormones. Stress hormones that you produce will be felt by not only you, but also your baby. By reducing your stress, through massage, you can increase the safety of your baby. It can also ease your muscular aches and pains that can quite frankly make your life hell. This will let you enjoy this special time in your life that you may never experience again.

Finding a therapist who specializes in prenatal massage might take you a little effort. Do not assume that any massage therapists can accommodate you. Some might not have the experience and some might not feel comfortable accepting you as a patient at all. Ask your potential masseuse or masseur if they have experience dealing with pregnant clients. If they do not, they will probably at least be able to point you in the right direction.

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What is Massage Therapy?

Any method of pressure on or friction against, or stroking, kneading, rubbing, tapping, pounding, vibrating or stimulating of the external soft parts of the body with the hands or with aid of any mechanical electrical apparatus or appliances with or without rubbing alcohol, liniments, antiseptics, oils, powder, creams, lotions, ointments or other similar preparations used in this practice, under such circumstances that it is reasonably expected that the person to whom treatment is provided ...
Massage is the practice of applying pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints. A form of therapy, massage can be applied to parts of the body or successively to the whole body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, improve circulation and relieve tension.
The manipulation of skin, muscle, and joints (usually by hand) to relax muscle spasm, relieve tension, improve circulation, and eliminate wastes. Over 80 types of massage are in use today. Various forms include: acupressure, athletic, polarity, reflexology, rolfing, shiatsu, sports, Swedish, traeger, and watsu.