Prenatal Massage
Massage, the art of therapeutic bodywork, has
been practiced from time immemorial by both ancient
and primitive peoples. Concepts which linked the
body to the mind and spirit were once discounted as
"unscientific" in the west, and the human body came
to be regarded as a sophisticated machine. Yet in
the light of the development of modern psychology
and a more sophisticated knowledge of anatomy and
physiology, health care professionals are beginning
to reexamine touch therapy. As we confront the
challenge of understanding how personal growth,
character, physical structure, and health and
disease relate to one another, we begin to create a
new matrix -- "the bodymind".* * Term coined by Ken
Dychtwald in his book Bodymind
Bodymind is the concept that health and disease
don't just happen to us, they are active processes
reflecting psychological and somatic harmony. As
more is learned in research on the brain, the
connection between mind and illness becomes
understandable. The brain masterminds or indirectly
influences every function of the body: blood
pressure, heart rate, immune responses and hormones.
The old saying "name your poison" applies to the
semantics and symbols of disease. People have long
spoken of a "broken heart" as the symbol of a
disappointing relationship: research now shows a
connection between loneliness and heart disease!
Over the years, our bodies become walking
autobiographies that tell friends and strangers
alike of the minor stresses and strains of our
lives. If one has an accident, distortions resulting
from injury can become a permanent part of our body
pattern. Our musculature reflects old anxieties-
fear, depression, bravado, stoicism- locked into our
bodies as patterns in our sensory-motor systems. Our
body's tight patterns begin to contribute to our
locked-in mental processes. For instance, just as
the body is constricted by the mind's grief, the
mind is constricted by the body's stubborn memory of
what the mind used to feel.
The sum total of this is that massage has
unlimited possibilities for human development from
two different angles. On the one hand, based on
physiological principles, massage can provide the
means to relieve the incredible stress and strain to
which we are subjected day after day in modern
living. For those to whom pain and stiffness are a
habitual way of life, bodywork can provide a means
to experience how it feels to have a body that can
breathe, stand and move more freely, unconstricted
by tight muscles and not drained by energy-consuming
tension. On the other hand, there are a diverse
array of therapies that deeply massage, manipulate,
loosen and change the body's neuromuscular system,
its orientation to gravity, and its symmetry.
There is no other time in which bodywork can have
as important an application than during pregnancy.
When we begin to visualize pregnancy as far more
than a physical state, and see it as a profound
emotional, mental
 and
spiritual process, it is clear that massage can be
of great benefit to the pregnant mother. Woman have
long held the amazing ability to influence the state
of their bodies with their thoughts and feelings,
and conversely, to allow their physical appearance
or state of health to dominate how they feel about
themselves as individuals. How many of us have
created an acne breakout when nervous about a new
date, or allowed the "bad hair day" syndrome to
taint an otherwise perfectly normal day with
irritability and gloom.
During pregnancy and childbearing, the enormous
influx of hormones combined with weight gain,
altered body shape, and the normal biophysical and
structural discomforts caused by increased blood
volume and a shifting center of gravity, all
contribute to many pregnant women feeling downright
uncomfortable, emotionally and physically! Massage
can provide an excellent means not only for
relieving body stress, but also for helping her deal
with emotional fears and concerns. When a woman
feels integrated and healthy in her body and mind,
she will manifest a more positive birth experience.
How is it possible that simply "rubbing" the skin
can presume to live up to claims of being one of the
most effective means to influence the structures and
functions of body and mind? The skin is the largest
sensory organ of the human body, arising in the
human embryo from the same cell layers as the
nervous system, the ectoderm. Ashley Montague writes
in Touching:
- The surface area of the skin has an
enormous number of sensory receptors receiving
stimuli of heat, cold, touch, pressure, and
pain. A piece of skin the size of a quarter
contains more than 3 million cells, 100-340
sweat glands, 50 nerve endings and three feet of
blood vessels. It is estimated that there are
some 50 receptors/100 sq. mm., a total of
640,000 sensory receptors. The number of sensory
fibers from the skin entering the spinal cord is
well over half a million.
In a sense, the nervous system is part of the
skin, or the skin is an external nervous system,
conveying knowledge of the environment to the
organism. In the evolution of the senses, the
tactile system was the first system to come into
being in all species. The sense most closely
associated with the skin, the sense of touch, is the
earliest to develop in the human embryo.
Touch means contact, a relationship with what
lies outside our own periphery. For humans touch is
of vital importance, giving reassurance, warmth,
pleasure and vitality. It tells us that we are not
alone. As infants, it is primarily through touch
that we explore and make sense of the world; the
loving touch of our parents is essential to our
growth. The cuddling and stroking we receive in
infancy helps us build a healthy image of ourselves
and nurtures the feeling that we are accepted and
loved.
Psychologists have demonstrated that our
perception of how much we are touched relates to how
we value ourselves, our self-esteem. Patients denied
skin contact report feeling acutely isolated, cut
off from the warmth of human touch- hence the
concept of "solitary confinement" as the ultimate
punishment. With the increased physiological and
emotional stress of pregnancy, an occasional massage
can be of significant benefit.
Some of the primary physical effects of
bodywork are:
- Massage serves to heighten circulation to
the skin by increasing blood flow to the veins
and surface capillaries, promoting better
cellular nutrition and elimination.
- Massage increases production of red and
white blood cells, especially useful in cases of
anemia.
- The work of the heart is lessened due to
improved circulation.
- Massage stimulates the activity of sweat and
oil glands creating more radiant and supple
skin.
- Massage influences blood and lymph vessels
by direct mechanical action, putting pressure on
the vessel walls which propels the movement of
blood, and stimulating the vasomotor nerves
which control constriction and relaxation of
blood vessels and determine the amount of blood
reaching the area being massaged.
- Massage acts as a mechanical cleanser,
pushing along lymph and hastening the
elimination of wastes and toxic debris.
- Massage relaxes muscle spasms, improves
muscle tone and elasticity, and helps prevent
atrophy resulting from inactivity.
- Muscle tissue, tired by work or exercise, is
restored more quickly as waste products of
fatigue (i.e. lactic acid) are readily removed,
and replacement nutrients replenished by
increased circulation.
- Massage stretches connective tissue, and
improves its circulation and nutrition, reducing
the danger of fibrosis and preventing the
formation of adhesions.
- Massage improves circulation and nutrition
to joints.
Some of the psychological effects of bodywork
are:
- Massage helps relieve muscle tension and
corresponding mental tension.
- Deep tissue massage helps free up fascia
(connective tissue) and muscles, allowing the
body to assume a more integrated posture.
- By releasing chronically held trauma and
reconnecting the natural flow and balance of the
organism, touch therapy encourages growth and
openness on all levels of functioning.
- Gentle stoking has a sedative affect on the
nervous system, promoting deep relaxation.
- Allowing the intimacy of touch creates a
state of trust and receptivity which facilitates
clearer mental and emotional perception.
- Massage can assist the integration of
emotional, mental or spiritual transformation on
a cellular level.
- The sense of renewed health and vitality
experienced following a bodywork session
improves self esteem and consequently esteem for
others.
Clearly then, massage is particularly beneficial
for expectant mothers as it not only promotes
physical well being, but also helps prepare women
psychologically and spiritually for the process of
labor and birth. Although a professional massage may
be a wonderful way to experience bodywork, it is by
no means the only way. During pregnancy, friends or
partners can experiment with different strokes and
pressures to help relieve some of the natural stress
and tensions of the expectant mother. There are many
excellent books giving basic instruction in
technique for the novice. The key is to remain
sensitive at all times to her needs, and to allow
her to communicate where and how she is comfortable
being touched. Be creative, open and loving!
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