If one of your specialty massage techniques is Hawaiian healing, you have the perfect client in a mom-to-be. While this type of massage addresses many of same issues as other modalities, Hawaiian massage (also known as Lomi Lomi) not only offers physical benefits, but mental and spiritual benefits, as well. Carrie Rowell, owner of Hamoea Healing Arts in Hawaii, internationally known Hawaiian pregnancy massage practitioner and instructor and doula, begins every session with prayer (Pule) and conversation with the client to get a sense of her mental state and any fears or anxieties she might like to release or intentions on which she’d like to focus her energy during the session. This information makes the therapist aware of areas on which to concentrate. For the most part, Hawaiian pregnancy massage uses the same strokes you would use for a non-pregnant client. Long, flowing strokes with the forearm weave around the body to...

To complement the Research Reports in the October 2014 issue of MASSAGE Magazine. Summary: After exertion-induced muscle injury exercises, it showed sedentary adults who received 30 minutes of Swedish massage therapy improves endothelial function. Sedentary participants exhibit improved endothelial function after receiving interventions incorporating massage therapy for exertion-induced muscle injury exercises. The study, “Massage Therapy Restores Peripheral Vascular Function Following Exertion,” involved 36 sedentary adults, ages 18 to 40. The study’s authors explained, “exertion-induced muscle injury (EMI) is associated with muscle pain, soreness, swelling, decreased range of motion (ROM) and reduced muscle strength” and “can lead to systemic inflammation and altered endothelial function.” There is no predominant treatment for EMI, but massage therapy has been recommended for reducing symptoms and post-injury inflammation. Researchers aimed to determine if EMI reduces vascular endothelial function, and if massage therapy helps improve peripheral vascular function after EMI. Prior to the study, participants spent less than 150...

Some lucky women breeze through pregnancy with hardly any physical discomfort. But for others, unexpected aches and pains become a constant part of the nine-month journey. One of the most common complaints massage therapists hear relates to sciatica pain. Fortunately, you can subdue sciatica pain with massage therapy. The sciatic nerve runs from the neck through the midsection of the back of the body and into the leg. As a woman’s pregnancy advances, this nerve bears the brunt of the growing fetus and expanding uterus. Additionally, swelling from water retention can increase pressure on this nerve, contributing to inflammation. Pregnant women who drive long distances or have jobs that require sitting for long periods of time may have a higher risk of developing sciatica. And, of course, the position of the fetus significantly affects sciatic-related pain. Sciatic pain typically affects only one side of the lower body and may extend from...