Triangle Birth Network
Empowering families. Improving birth.

Childbirth Choices :: Complementary Care

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine | CranioSacral Therapy | Chiropractic | Massage Therapy

Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork can be a relaxing and restorative treatment at any time, however many women find particular benefit from massage during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period.  Prenatal massage can provide relief from lower back pain, sciatica and carpal tunnel syndrome--physical discomforts that women often experience as their bodies adapt to the normal changes that occur throughout pregnancy.  Massage also offers emotional relief from the stresses and anxieties brought on by pregnancy hormones, changes in self-image, and normal concerns about becoming a parent.  During labor, massage supports the laboring woman in reaching and maintaining a state of relaxation in order to facilitate a smooth birth.  In the postpartum period, massage therapy aids in postural realignment, relief of muscular tension caused by the physical and emotional exertion of normal labor, the break up or reduction of adhesions caused by a cesarean, and in easing nursing-related discomforts.

Nicole Cutler’s article, 12 Reasons to Administer Prenatal Massage, provides excellent details on the many benefits of pregnancy massage.

How is prenatal massage different?

Massage therapists trained in prenatal massage understand the physiology of pregnancy, labor and postpartum and have developed the skills and techniques necessary to massage the mother competently throughout the childbearing year.  They know and follow guidelines for high-risk pregnancies, and are well versed in the contraindications to prenatal massage.  These contraindications include:
  • The presence of a fever
  • Unexplained pain or bleeding
  • Pre-eclampsia
  • High blood pressure
In addition, a licensed massage and bodywork therapist may work under your midwife's or physician's guidance and permission if you have certain serious health conditions such as cancer or diabetes.

What can I expect during a session?

Massage and bodywork during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters will take place in the side-lying position or, with the use of special tables and cushions, in the belly-down position.  You should be professionally draped at all times during your session for your security and comfort.  You should always inform your therapist if the pressure they are using is too heavy or too light.

Plan to complete a verbal or written health assessment prior to treatment so your therapist can provide you with appropriate care.  Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork does not replace the care of a midwife or physician and it is outside the scope of training for a massage therapist to diagnose medical conditions.

A variety of bodywork systems such as Swedish massage, neuromuscular therapy, acupressure, trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage, and cranial-sacral therapy can be used to address the typical discomforts of pregnancy. 

What other things should I consider?

Massage therapy carries few risks if appropriate cautions are followed. Although a small number of injuries have been reported, they appear to have most often been caused by unlicensed therapists or following the use of untested, “exotic” techniques.

Before you decide to have a massage therapy session, ask the therapist about their training and experience.  North Carolina requires anyone practicing massage to be a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist (LMBT).  This designation requires a minimum of 500 hours of professional training, successful completion of the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and 25 hours of continuing education every two years.  If you have any special medical concerns, including pregnancy, you should discuss these with your massage therapist and ask whether she has had any specialized training or experience with those concerns.

Several local practitioners of perinatal massage and bodywork are members of the Triangle Birth Network and have endorsed the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative.  For a list of these members and their contact information, go to the massage therapy section of the TBN Members list.

Resources:

1. Field T., Hernandez-Reif M., Hart S., Theakston H., Schanberg S., Kuhn C.  "Pregnant Women Benefit From Massage Therapy".  J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol, 1999 Mar, 20(1):31-8

2. Field T.  "Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are lessened following massage therapy".  Churchill Livingstone (2003). 

3. Chang M-Y, Wang S-Y, Chen C-H. "Effects of massage on pain and anxiety during labour: a randomized controlled trial in Taiwan".  Journal of Advanced Nursing, Volume 38, Number 1, April 2002, pp. 68-73(6).

4. Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD; David Eisenberg, MD; Karen J. Sherman, PhD; William Barlow, PhD; Ted J. Kaptchuk, OMD; Janet Street, RN, MN, PNP; Richard A. Deyo, MD, MPH.  "Randomized Trial Comparing Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Therapeutic Massage, and Self-care Education for Chronic Low Back Pain".  Arch Intern Med, Apr 2001, Vol 161, No 8.

5. Agren A, RNM, MNSc, Berg M, RNM, MNSc., MPH, PhD.  "Tactile massage and severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy--women's experiences".  Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 20 (2), 169–176.