Is massage safe when you are pregnant?

I know the top priority for pregnant women is to keep the baby safe. With this in mind I want to start by stating there is no evidence that demonstrates

massage can induce labour
massage can cause miscarriages
massage creates complications

It is important to remember women’s bodies were designed to become pregnant and nuture a baby to full term. Pregnancy is not an illness. In addition pregnancy can’t be made worse by massage. Muscles are still muscles, joints remain joints, nerves stay nerves. The effects of massage on muscles is the same if you are pregnant or not pregant. It is common sense that the masseur ensure that the pregnant women is comfortable normally by lying them on their side and proping them up with cushions.

So in short massage is safe for pregnant women.

Is the way you breathing causing your neck pain? – Part 2
In my last post, I explained how both your scalenes and sternocleidomastoid can become both tense and painful from shallow breathing. Obviously deep breathing will help as it will address the cause. But what if you have a bad habit of shallow breathing, and know its causing tension in your neck muscles? First there are some stretches that will help.

Sternocleidomastoid Stretch

The sternocleidomastoid muscle runs like two long strap-like muscles on either side of the front of the neck. To stretch it, rotate the head to one side as far as is comfortable. Then tilt the head to the same side, as if trying to reach the ear to the shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side of your neck.

Scalenes Stretch

The scalenes muscle groups is made of three muscles; anterior scalene, middle scalene & posterior scalene. Due to the location of these muscle tightness can contribute to tension headaches & can refer pain both to the chest and shoulder. In addition the brachial plexus a network of nerves that supplies signals to the shoulder and arm. Therefore tension within these muscles can also restrict these nerve signals, causing pain and pins & needles (paraesthesia) down the arm to the hand. Stretching the scalenes is relatively easy. Start by sitting in a chair. Put your right hand under your bottom and sit on it. This pins the shoulder down so that your neck can stretch without raising the shoulder. Tilt your head directly to the left bringing your left ear towards your left shoulder. If you don’t feel much of a stretch, bring your left hand up to Gently pull your head down towards the left more. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat this stretch tilting the head slightly in front of and behind the shoulder as well. This stretch can also be done lying down. See picture below.
Finally you can book a Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage.
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Headaches – Introduction
Headaches are one of the most common complaints. Yet despite this, the precise mechanism and cause of certain types of headache remains unclear. The three main types of headache are

Tension

Migraines

Cluster

Tension headaches – are characterised by constant pressure or tightness that affects both sides of the head accompanied by contraction of the neck muscles. They are the most common type of headache. The exact cause is unclear, but tension headaches have been linked to things such as stress, poor posture, skipping meals and dehydration. Migraines – are typically characterised by a throbbing or pulsating pain. In addition you feel worse for physical activity and there often additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, sound and/or smells. Cluster Headaches – are characterised by being very severe but generally lasting less than one hour. One characteristic of cluster headaches is that the pain is often centred on the eye, which may water. They are called cluster headaches because they can occur up to eight times in one day, for a few weeks or up to two months. Their cause is unknown but there is subjective evidence to suggest the triggers may include alcohol, strong smelling substances or extreme rise in temperatures. Identifying which type of headache you have can be very difficult as tension headaches and migraines share many of the same traits. Treating and preventing headaches depends on the individual and type of headache. It is often advisable to keep a diary in order to identify which type of headache(s), they experience and if there are specific triggers that can be avoided.
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Anxiety reduction & massage?
I know that I often say that one of the benefits of massage is that it may reduce anxiety. I think most people would agree that being in hospital or undergoing hospital procedures may makes us feel anxious. So I was interested in a recent study that looked at the effectiveness of massage with or without guided imagery (a therapist talking you through a scene to help you relax), prior to cardiac catheterisation. As you can imagine anxiety is very common in patients prior to cardiac catheterisation, which can lead to high blood pressure and increase the amount of sedation necessary to complete the procedure. Fifty five patients opted to receive either a 15-minute massage (31 patients) and a 20 minute guided imagery (24 patients) in a quiet area of the hospital prior to cardiac catheterisation. Self-report anxiety levels, blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated in the research participants as well as matched for comparison to a control group not taking part in the study. The results indicated that massage, with or without guided imagery, produced significant reductions in self-reported anxiety, with the combined intervention having a more pronounced effect. In addition a lower diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were found when compared to the control group. In my experience slow, deep stokes help to reduce anxiety and as a team we often incorporate this into treatments. References Amstrong K, Dixon S, May S, Patricolo GE (2014). Anxiety reduction in patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation, following massage and guided imagery. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 20 (4): 334 - 338.
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