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.
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A Guide to Sciatica
One of the most common questions I get asked, by my clients is "is my back pain sciatica?". So I would like take some time to explain what sciatica or piriformis syndrome is. Sciatica is the irritation of inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which runs from L3 down through your legs and feet to your toes, so its the longest (and widest) nerve in the human body. The reason sciatica is called piriformis syndrome is that the piriformis muscle (which is in your bum) can compress the sciatic nerve. Because in most people approximately 87% the sciatic nerve passes below the piriformis muscle, in approximately 13% people the sciatic nerve passes in part or entirely though the piriformis muscle. So tightness in the piriformis muscle is a major cause of sciatica and this tightness can be exasperated by prolonged sitting. Other notable causes are trauma to your lower back or your pelvis, a history of herniated disc in your lower back and some systemic diseases e.g. diabetes. So how can you tell if you have sciatica or lower back pain? Sciatic is characterised by the presence of one or more of the following symptoms:
- Constant pain in one side of the buttock or back of one leg.
- Sharp or burning pain or tingling radiating down the back of your thigh.
- Pain is worse when sitting for long periods of time.
- Pain may be aggravated by sneezing, stooping or straining.
- You feel that you want to slouch away from the effected side.
- Possible pins and needles or parasthesia (numbness) down leg.

Why do we sometimes recommend longer treatments?
In my last blog article, I explained the benefits including scientific evidence from a 15 minute Seated Acupressure Massage. So if 15 minutes has all these benefits, why do we offer 30 minute treatments and why do we sometimes recommend them? Quite simply, its based on experience. I find that some clients start to notice their neck & shoulder loosing mobility and their level of muscular tension increasing but they are too busy to book in. Frequently we find that people leave it 3 weeks before they book in or sometimes up to a month, by which time the knots have multiplied and grown!!! The 15 minute treatment is designed to nip things in the bud, before the tension gets chronic. However I appreciate that my clients have very busy lifestyles so this isn't always possible so we offer longer treatments. Finally, some people get home from work and instantly switch off while other people take a while. This different rate of response is what we as therapists see when we treat people, so we recognise when your muscles are releasing really slowly. Indeed over the years some of my clients have commented on how it took a long time for their right/left shoulder to relax. In cases where your muscles are releasing very slowly we often suggest you book a longer treatment.

The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 6
Studies have shown that an alert body and active lifestyle boosts not just productivity, but also happiness and satisfaction levels. There is now an explosion of research studies that demonstrate the harmful effects of sitting all day, which I have covered in past blog posts.
- the impact on muscles (in part 1)
- the general impact on the body (in part 2)
- the impact on your heart and the increase risk of cardiovascular disease (in part 3)
- the increased risk of certain cancers (in part 4)

