pregnant mothers

Massage Therapy Techniques for Pregnant Mothers

November 23, 2015

Although there has only been but a small amount of studies focusing on massage during pregnancy, there exists still some very useful tips from which expecting mothers can benefit. And, in just a moment, I will outline WebMD’s list of massage techniques and its advantages.

 

According to WebMD, some safe techniques for pregnancy massage include:

 

  • deep-tissue massage, with firm strokes pressing deep into muscles
  • Swedish massage, with long strokes to muscles and attention to joint mobility
  • Shiatsu, with pressure and tapping on acupressure points to stimulate the body’s natural energy

 

According to WebMD, the University of Miami’s School of Medicine suggests that massage therapy might have a multitude of positive effects including:

 

  • lowered anxiety
  • decreased back and leg pain
  • improved sleep
  • decreased levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine

 

In another study of pregnancy massage in depressed women, researchers found:

 

  • increased levels of the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine
  • decreased levels of cortisol, an indicator of stress
  • an overall improvement in mood

 

Click here to read the full article.