For new mothers-to-be, anxiety about what life will be like when new baby arrives can make pregnancy more stressful that it has to be. Studies indicate that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can help reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression and relieve aches and joint pain and even improve labor outcomes.
Swedish massage, which aims to relax muscle tension and improve lymphatic and blood circulation through mild pressure applied to the muscle groups of the body is most often recommended for prenatal massage because it addresses many common discomforts associated with the skeletal and circulatory changes brought on by hormone shifts during pregnancy. Massage also helps reduce edema, or swelling of the joints, another common complaint during pregnancy. Finally, many women experience a reduction in sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy through regular massage, according to the American Pregnancy Association.
