For centuries, people have been using therapeutic massage to improve their health, relieve tension in the muscles, and alleviate stress.  But what many don’t know is how important it has been for pregnant women.  Especially in recently years, research is showing that massage therapy can be useful in a woman’s prenatal care. Let’s discuss some of the benefits of prenatal massage therapy.

First, various studies have shown that massage therapy done when a woman is pregnant can alleviate anxiety, relieve depression, decrease join and muscle aches and improve the outcome of labor.  It even is suspected to help the newborn’s overall health.

Different massage techniques address different needs. For instance, Swedish Massage relaxes the muscles and improves blood and lymphatic circulation by applying mild pressure to the body’s muscle groups.  This is also the recommended massage technique during pregnancy, since it helps with common discomforts caused by typical hormone shifts during a woman’s pregnancy.

Another benefit: According to some studies, massage helps alter hormone levels, thus improving a woman’s relaxation during pregnancy. Massage therapy helps regulate the mother’s moods and improves her cardiovascular health.  It has been show to reduce the so-called stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine, while serotonin and dopamine levels are increased (provided they receive massages bi-weekly for about five or more weeks).  The change of hormone levels brought about less complications during the child’s birth and a lower instance of birth complications (for instance, low birth weight).

There has also been a noticeable reduction in swelling of a woman’s joints when massage therapy is practiced during pregnancy.  This swelling is caused by a reduction of circulation as well as an increase in pressure on blood vessels by the woman’s heavier uterus.  Massage therapy stimulates tissues around swollen joints, thus alleviating the swelling.

One more benefit: Massage benefit helps with nerve pain. Many women, especially during late pregnancy, experience pain in the sciatic nerve, because of the heavy uterus resting on the muscles at the lower back and pelvic floor.  This pressure sends tension aches to the muscles of lower and upper legs, leading to swelling.  Massage therapy helps release the tension on muscles that are nearby, reducing sciatic nerve pain significantly.

Besides these major benefits, there are other advantages that argue in favor of pregnancy massage. For instance:

• A reduction in joint pain;
• A reduction in back pain;
• A reduction in edema;
• Better circulation;
• Relief of headaches and muscle tension;
• Lowered anxiety and stress levels;
• More and higher-quality sleep.

If you do decide to receive massage during pregnancy, keep in mind that position is important.  Many experts say that lying on the side is the best position for therapeutic massage.  Some people opt for tables which provide holes for the women’s uteruses. However, many feel that these are not reliable and still apply too much pressure to the abdomen.  Therefore, before you commit to a massage, ask the therapist in what position she will have you lying.  And as always, feel free to discuss this matter with your doctor ahead of time.