During pregnancy, a mother's body goes through a lot of physiological and emotional changes. These changes are a natural part of pregnancy in preparation for childbirth with better understanding on what causes it and how does a prenatal massage help ease the discomfort is a big help in coping it.
Back Pain Some pain or discomfort is normally felt at the second trimester of pregnancy. The study shows that back pain the most common complaints of a pregnant mother. It is usually related to extra weight gained, the uterus gets bigger it adds tension to the muscle and your center of gravity changes putting more pressure on the back making it painful.
Headache Headache may occur anytime during pregnancy, this is common in the first and third trimester. This happens due to pregnancy, hormonal changes and changes in the blood pressure. Headache can also be aggravated by stress, fatigue, hunger, tension, lack of sleep and dehydration.
Leg Cramps The painful spasm radiating through the calves up to the legs at night is very common at second to third trimester. The cause is still unknown, but some study says that it's possibly because of fatigue from carrying around your extra weight, the expanding uterus compressing the main vein from the legs and possibly diet consuming less calcium and excess phosphorus.
Swelling and Edema During pregnancy, a mother's body holds too much fluid than usual due a certain hormones that can cause some fluid retention. The expanding uterus that can cause compression of pelvic veins and the vena cava, making less backflow of the blood can also be one of the causes. Fluid retention or edema can also worsen when a pregnant mother stands prolong period of time, gravity pulls body fluids in the lowest point (lower extremities).
Surely you have learned now that pregnancy comes with many pains, discomforts and strange symptoms. On the other hand, all this pain and discomfort will wane once the baby is out. Here's a good news, this can be relieved by prenatal massage therapy find out how.
Prenatal comes from the Latin word "pre" means before and "natal/natus" means birth, plus the word massage. It simply means giving a pregnant mother a massage before she gives birth. Prenatal massage therapy is also known as pregnancy massage, study shows that it is the most common alternative and effective treatment for pregnant mothers experiencing back and leg pain, edema, anxiety and discomfort. Now here's how it relieves the pains and discomforts:
Pains As the licensed massage therapist rubs and strokes the affected areas such as back and legs, it increases blood flow, improves circulation, increase oxygenation of tissue and muscle and eliminates lactic acids a byproduct of metabolism that causes pain and cramps. A prenatal massage can also stimulate the release of pain blocking chemical like serotonin.
Headaches Reducing stress and tension around the areas that causes headaches are the head, neck and shoulder region, massage focusing in this following area can relieve headache. In addition, maintaining optimal levels of stress relief through massage reduces the chances of migraines or tension headaches by relaxing trigger points and
muscle spasms. Edema/ Swelling Studies have proved that prenatal massage therapy decrease the swelling extremities of a pregnant mother. This massage works to improve circulation in the lymph system; thus effectively healing the swelling in your legs.
Before beginning any massage therapy or routine, you should consult your physician to make sure that it will be safe for you and your baby. It's also best to find a massage therapist who is certified in prenatal massage.