Are you pregnant and think Pregnancy Massage
is a LUXURY?
I’ll give you
FOUR good reasons why it is a NECESSITY!
Dramatic physical and chemical
changes occur as women progress in their pregnancy. Several symptoms of pain and
discomfort arise out of these changes. A
massage therapist experienced in pregnancy massage can help expecting mothers relieve
MANY of the following pain and discomfort: depression, fatigue, insomnia, morning
sickness, heart burn, indigestion, constipation, headaches, high blood pressure,
back aches, leg cramps, muscle spasms, SI joint dysfunction, carpal tunnel syndrome,
hormones imbalance, swelling, and edema.
Postural changes are the biggest
factor in the physical pain and discomfort, Weight gain causes an anterior
shift of the center of gravity creating an abnormal curve in the cervical and
lumber areas of the spine. For the same
reason more stress and tension is placed on weight bearing joints, such as
ankles, low back and the pelvis. Then as the baby becomes more active, their
movements tend to throw the pelvic girdle out of alignment. As the pregnancy progresses, the baby will
sometimes drop lower into the pelvic girdle also throwing it out of alignment. Joints being out of alignment can put
excessive pressure on the sciatic nerve.
PROBLEM: SOLUTION:
How does this affect How can pregnancy massage
the mommy-to-be? resolve
the issues?
PROBLEM / SOLUTION NUMBER ONE:
These changes and added weight increase
the occurrence of muscle cramps, spasms, and myofascial pain. Pregnancy massage helps by minimizing
muscular imbalances, relaxing tight muscles, and addressing joint dysfunctions.
PROBLEM / SOLUTION NUMBER TWO:
The symptoms of tingling, and
numbness in the fingers and hands otherwise known as carpal tunnel syndrome are
due to the swelling of tissues in the narrowing passages in your wrists. Swelling and edema are due to increased fluid
retention, decreased lymphatic flow, and impaired blood flow during pregnancy. Pregnancy massage helps reduce these symptoms
by improving blood and lymphatic flow through muscle manipulation and joint
mobilization techniques.
PROBLEM / SOLUTION NUMBER THREE:
The ever expanding uterus and hormone
fluctuations result in morning sickness, heart burn, indigestion, and constipation. This adds pressure to areas such as the rib
cage, the stomach, and the intestines to name a few. Luckily, relief is possible by stretching and
relaxing the intercostal and abdominal
muscles with a pregnancy massage! The
sense of well-being evoked by relaxing these areas, also aids in the entire
process of digestion.
PROBLEM / SOLUTION NUMBER FOUR:
Feelings of stress, anxiety, and
depression are often increased during pregnancy also due to hormone fluctuations. As a result of pregnancy massage levels of
the stress hormone norepinephrine decrease, while levels of “feel good”
hormones like serotonin and dopamine increase.
Cheers,
Yvonne L Larson
| LA’s Neck Work Expert
Facebook.com/NeckWorkExpert
