Massage therapy is a profession that allows you to improve the lives of others through wellness. Both prenatal and postnatal massages are popular ways for mothers to enhance their personal well-being, whether through stress reduction, relief of physical tension or increased blood flow. So long as a mother’s physician approves of it, she may decide to come to you as a client.
Safety measures and consideration of pressure points need to be taken into account with pregnant clients, as well as where they are in their pregnancy and whether it is a good time to have a massage. This is so that you can help them while keeping them safe. Massage can help with pain, relaxation and emotional needs, making for happier and healthier clients who are better rested and calmer. Read on for some more benefits of pregnancy massage.
If You Become a Massage Therapist You May Help Improve Mothers’ Moods
Pregnancy and motherhood can both cause a fair amount of stress. Massage is a great way for many people to relieve the anxiety and stress they experience in their daily lives. This also applies to prenatal and postnatal massage. At a time when sleep and relaxation are precious, massage can help your clients maximize their downtime and boost their spirits.
For many people, massage can reduce cortisol, a stress hormone. It can also boost serotonin and dopamine, two hormones that make us feel happy and energized. In addition, getting massages can help clients sleep more soundly, by taking care of tension and helping clients relax. Sleep does wonders for stress levels and mood.
Reduce Back Pain for Mothers After Massage Therapy School
As you may expect judging from your courses in massage therapy school, a lot of clients go to massage therapists with trouble areas in mind, where they are feeling particularly high levels of tension or soreness. During pregnancy, each person has a unique physical experience, but common areas of discomfort are the back and legs. Due to the excess weight added to the skeleton, a mother’s centre of gravity shifts during pregnancy. This can cause poor posture, where the body is leaning back to regain balance. If this places too much tension on the lower back muscles, it can cause soreness.
Since massage therapy increases blood flow to muscles and relieves tension from fibres, it’s a great way for many people to relieve lower back pain. With pregnant clients, some therapists use a special table that allows space for the mother’s tummy to fit, although you may have clients laying on their sides or in other positions, depending on what stage they are at and what is most comfortable for them.
Emotional Benefits for Mothers From Massage
Sometimes clients book couples’ massages when available, as an activity that allows them to relax and connect. When you become a massage therapist, you may notice that couples use massage to wind down as a team, either during or after pregnancy. If your place of work offers it, couples can receive massage therapy in the same room, enjoying each other’s company.
New mothers or pregnant women may also choose massage as a way to feel cared for and treat themselves. During a time when the needs of others are often placed in front of their own, your services can give mothers a much-needed break, where they are taken care of and don’t need to worry about protecting other people.
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