Learn if it is safe to have a deep tissue massage during pregnancy from celebrity massage therapist Meagan Holub in this Howcast video. Deep-tissue massage is a technique that focuses on deeper layers of muscle to alleviate pain and stress in targeted areas.
Though it is a fairly standard technique under most circumstances, pregnant women may be a bit leery of deep-tissue massage because of its emphasis on pressure points and its tendency to leave the recipient sore for a day or two.
Contraindication: Most doctors say that any type of massage, including deep-tissue massage, is contraindicated during the first trimester of pregnancy. Contraindication means that a treatment that would normally be prescribed for your set of symptoms is not advised because of a medical condition or your age, among other reasons.
Misconceptions: Many women believe all types of massage are contraindicated throughout pregnancy. However, after the first trimester only very intense forms of massage should be avoided. Deep-tissue massage is generally regarded as too dangerous for pregnant women, but some prenatal massage experts may employ moderate deep-tissue techniques for certain pregnancy side-effects, such as back pain.
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