Some pregnant mums have it easy. Yet others have to go through many hours of labour.
But one thing’s for sure. After the delivery process, many are just plain tired. In addition, having to breastfeed and nurse a newborn several times a night can be exhausting.
The new mum today does not have much time to rest and relax during her confinement period at home. She needs to get back to work pretty quickly and that means, facing added pressure to lose weight so that she can fit back to her office wear.
Post-natal massage may just be the solution to her needs. Here are 6 top benefits of Post-natal massage therapy:
1. Relaxation
2. Stress Relief
3. Relieves aches on shoulders or neck
4. Hasten the reduction of fluid retention.
5. Help uterus to shrink to original size
6. Reduce cellulite and help to tone up the body.
In many parts of Asia, many women before delivery would in fact, prebook sessions with an Indonesian massage therapist for post-natal massage. The treatment is a traditional one which has been handed down several generations and even practiced today. This treatment involves the use of a massage oil applied to the stomach and a tummy wrap (bengkung), essentially a cotton cloth of several metres. The bengkung is used to wrap the body so as to push up the uterus, clear water retention, wind, spasm, shrinks the tummy and helps to reduce weight. Post-natal massage is usually done in the privacy of one’s own home.
For a mother that has delivered her baby naturally, it is generally pretty safe to go for a post-natal massage. For those that delivered by caesarian, be sure to consult your professional massage therapist or your doctor first. Most in fact, would recommend that you wait a few more weeks before proceeding with a post-natal massage.
Post-natal massage provides a sense of continuing comfort for the new mother. The aim of this massage is to give nurturing and emotional support as well as alleviate the muscle strain of labor and childbirth. Some post natal massage therapies also come with a detoxification ritual that rids the midriff of post birth bagginess.
In some instances, post-natal massage can also bring about a much shapelier silhouette, compared to the one just before pregnancy!
As a massage therapist there are certain things that you need to know about the human body that enable you to effectively do your job. Other things that you can learn about anatomy and physiology will take your massage practice to the next level. Taking the time to educate yourself about the body and learning the intricate functions of the body will help you be a better massage therapist and you will show your clients that you are indeed an expert in the massage therapy industry and you have taken the time to further your education and be the best massage therapist that you can be for them.
Traditional Massage Therapy Schools do not teach these advanced massage therapy techniques.
Proprioceptors
Proprioceptors are sensory nerve endings that send information to the brain about the angle of joints, length of muscles and muscle tension. All of this information is brought together to tell the body about the position of a limb so that even with the eyes closed the body knows just where that limb is and what it is doing. Muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs are both proprioceptors. Muscle spindles send information on the changes of the length of the muscle while Golgi tendon organs send information on the changes of the tension of the muscle.
Stretch Reflex
The stretch reflex is a protective measure that the body takes to prevent a muscle from stretching too much. It is an involuntary reaction by the nerves that make the muscle contract when it has been overextended or stretched too far. If you stretch your muscles too far, neural impulses are sent through your body to the muscle that is being overstretched and that muscle automatically contracts. In the stretch reflex, the muscle actually tightens which creates a situation where your muscles are doing the opposite of what you are trying to get them to do.
Proprioceptors and Stretch Reflex as a System
Proprioceptors and the stretch reflex actually work together as a system to protect the body. The stretch reflex is the result of a proprioceptor. One set monitors the length of the muscle and the other monitors the tension of the muscle. They work together to keep the body from becoming injured. This intricate system works to make the human body a highly functional machine. There is a sort of push and pull mechanism at work, but the push protects against the pull and vice versa.
What do these mean to your Massage Therapy Training?
When you have a deep understanding of how the human body works, you can begin to use that knowledge to reach your clients in a manner that many other massage therapists can not. Understanding how the proprioceptors work and when they will work will help you in the stretching stage of a massage. You will understand that when you work a muscle and stretch it, when it reaches its maximum stretch it will automatically contract. That is why when you lie on your back and stretch your hamstrings, once you reach your maximum stretch your leg is no longer straight, it involuntarily contracts and bends. When you have mastered this concept, you will be much more effective and your massage therapy education will show.
Both Caroline Colby & Robert Vignoli are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Caroline Colby has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acupuncture Chiropractor, Massage and Backpain. Caroline Colby is a publisher of information on Massage Therapy. She highly promotes Massage Therapy as a safe, holistic and effective alternative health therapy. Her site includes information on massage techniques, massage chairs, massage oils, etc. For. Caroline Colby's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.
Robert Vignoli has sinced written about articles on various topics from Massage, Build Muscle and Massage. Robert C. Vignoli has been a massage therapist for over 10 years and is an expert in cutting edge . He currently co-owns Roman Paradigm Massa. Robert Vignoli's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.