Massage Therapy Techniques for Pregnant Mothers

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.