Using Massage Therapy Equipment While Pregnant – Are There Restrictions?

Pregnancy is both a joyous time and a time of misery. There is a lot of back pain and pains that a woman never thought she could ever have. Many times, something as simple as a massage can make a huge difference, but not every woman can utilize the services of a massage therapist. Sometimes this has something to do with cost because there is a baby on the way and money is a little tight. However, this may entice her to buy massage therapy equipment in order to feel better. As for this being a good idea, it is certainly something that is not recommended.

Amongst those massage therapy devices that should not be used is anything with an implanted electrode. These can offer a bit of a shock and can be potentially harmful to the baby. Magnets should not be used either. Also, anything that requires the back to arch is something that a pregnant woman should not do. With all of this said, it may seem like she can’t do anything because it is also suggested that she stay away from anything with heavy vibrations. Basically, keep anything electronic away from the vicinity of the baby because it is sometimes hard to tell what is harmful and what is not, but it is important to keep anything magnetic away and anything that produces any sort of electronic shock like an electronic muscle stimulator.

Now a small handheld massager that can be used around the neck and in the upper back area but it should not be used in the lower back or in the stomach area. All of these devices should be kept away from the baby. Other devices that are safe are foot massagers that use heat and vibration. Pregnancy can be tough on an expectant mothers feet, so these can be really great, but these devices are pretty much all mommy can use. Even those wrap around neck pillows that massage are not out of the question.

There is, however, a piece of massage equipment that a pregnant woman should buy and that is a prenatal massage table. These tables are specifically designed for expectant mothers. What it does is relieve aches in the back and improves circulation by reducing stress. Mothers to be find it difficult to lie down flat due to tenderness of the breasts and a growing belly, so the prenatal massage table has what resemble cutouts that can be taken out of the table for her belly and her breasts to go through. By simply placing the plugs back into the table, the table becomes perfectly flat so she can lay on her side or on her back if she has to.

With such a table, prenatal massage techniques can be used to make the expectant mother feel better. There are such techniques as the labor massage in which the mother to be lies on her side and is in a reclined position. This is when a pregnancy pillow can really come in handy. There are also post-pregnancy massages in which this special technique can rebalance the mother’s body, which can also improve the elasticity of the skin.

So if the expectant mother gets the urge to buy massage therapy equipment, the prenatal massage table is going to be her best bet and then she can also buy small massagers for areas of her body that will not administer any electric shock, contain magnets, or cause any trauma to the baby. It is true that a mother to be will do all that she can to make herself feel better, but she also knows there are restrictions and obeys those restrictions.