I am pregnant, is Reflexology safe for me?
Obviously when you are pregnant you want to make sure everything you do is safe for both you and your baby. Reflexology is generally considered safe if you are pregnant providing all is well with the pregnancy and you tell the Reflexologist you are pregnant.
Reflexology should be avoided by women with a risk of pre-eclampsia or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and they should seek medical advice before having Reflexology. It is not suitable if:
- you have a history of miscarriages
- you have been diagnosed with Placenta Previa
- you have been diagnosed with Hydroamnios
The Association of Reflexologists says, “Nearly everyone can benefit from having Reflexology during pregnancy.” The benefits include helping you cope with the emotional changes during pregnancy plus the physical changes to your body including tiredness. Reflexology also helps with the side effects of being pregnant e.g fluid retention, swelling, constipation, aches and pains including backache.
Reflexology can also help new mothers cope with the demands of their new baby.
Related Posts
Can reflexology help you with period pain?
It is claimed that up to 50% of women of reproductive age suffer from period pain. For many years from my mid-teens until my late twenties I suffered from dysmenorrhea (period pain). To avoid it interfering with my O Levels I went on the pill but discovered that didn't suit me. In my mid-twenties I tried reflexology and I felt it helped but I never knew if it was just as a I got older my periods were less painful. Recently I came across some research that supports my experience. A clinical trial in Iran compared the effectiveness of reflexology and ibuprofen in reducing period pain intensity and duration. 68 students with period pain were randomly divided into a reflexology group, receiving 10 reflexology sessions (40 minutes each) during two consecutive menses cycles or an ibuprofen group, receiving 400mg of ibuprofen every eight hours for three days during three consecutive menses cycles. The study results indicated that reflexology was superior to ibuprofen in reducing period pain and the effects off treatment continued even after discontinuing the intervention in the third mense cycle. Reference Valiani M, Babaei E, Heshmat R and Zare Z, Comparing the effects of reflexology methods and ibuprofen administration on dysmenorrhea in female students of Isfahan University Medical Sciences. Iran Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. December 2010; 15 (S1): 371 - 378
What ailments can Reflexology help with?
Reflexology is a complementary therapy which is rapidly growing in popularity due to its well established reputation for helping patients de-stress and relax. My clients have found it particular effective for:
- PMT/PMS
- Headaches and migraines
- Sinus problems (including sinus pain, sinusitis, and nasal congestion)
- Stress and anxiety (including panic attacks)
- Digestive disorders (including constipation and irritable bowel syndrome)
- Stiffness
- Depression
- Tiredness (including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
- Pregnancy (including constipation ,backache, pains, fluid retention and swelling)
