Massage therapy is known to have beneficial effects in a variety of medical conditions and stressful experiences.1 The use of complementary and alternative therapeutic interventions have become increasingly significant among pregnant women and women in labor.2 Massage therapy has been shown to have stress-alleviating effects and activating effects in varied medical conditions. In a review of the effects of massage therapy across studies on depression, pain syndrome studies, research on auto-immune conditions, immune studies (including HIV and breast cancer), and studies on the reduction of stress on the job, the stress of aging, and pregnancy stress, investigators noted significant decreases in cortisol levels, and increases in serotonin and dopamine.1

A study of 84 depressed pregnant women revealed that massage therapy led to lower levels of anxiety and depressed mood and less leg and back pain. Women receiving therapeutic massage had higher dopamine and serotonin levels and lower levels of cortisol and norepinephrine. These women also had better neonatal outcomes.3 Another study with 26 pregnant women revealed that massage therapy reduced anxiety, improved mood, improved sleep and reduced back pain. Additionally, urinary stress hormone levels (norepinephrine) were also decreased among these women and they also had fewer complications during labor and their infants had fewer postnatal complications.4

In a study, pregnant women with major depression were subjected to receive 12 weeks of twice weekly massage therapy. The women showed reduced depression by the end of the therapy period, and reduced depression and cortisol levels during the postpartum period in comparison with control group. Their newborns were less likely to be born prematurely and with low birthweight.5

Interestingly, not just mood states but relationships also improve mutually when depressed pregnant women are massaged by their partners.6 A study allocated prenatally depressed women to either receive massage twice weekly from their partners from 20 weeks gestation until the end of pregnancy or to a control group. Self-reported leg pain, back pain, depression, anxiety and anger decreased more among the massaged pregnant women than for the control group. Additionally, the partners who massaged the pregnant women reported less depressed mood, anxiety and anger over the course of the massage therapy period compared with the control group partners. Scores on a relationship questionnaire were noted to improve more for both the women and the partners in the massage group.6

As cortisol levels decreased with massage therapy, excessive fetal activity has been shown to decrease, and the rate of prematurity was lower in women receiving massage therapy. In a study of labor pain, women receiving massage therapy experienced significantly less pain, and their labors were on average 3 h shorter with less need for medication.7

Therapeutic massage clearly has several benefits for a pregnant woman in terms of decreased stress, reduced anxiety, improved mood, improved sleep and reduced back and leg pain as well as reduced depression, and anger.

References

1. Field T, Hernandez-Reif M, Diego M, et al. Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy. Int J Neurosci. 2005 Oct;115(10):1397-413.
2. Field T. Pregnancy and labor massage. Expert Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Mar; 5(2): 177–181.
3. Field T, Diego MA, Hernandez-Reif M, et al. Massage therapy effects on depressed pregnant women. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2004 Jun;25(2):115-22.
4. Field T, Hemandez-Reif M, Hart S, et al. Pregnant women benefit from massage therapy. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology 1999;20(1).
5. Field T, Diego M, Hernandez-Reif M, et al. Pregnancy massage reduces prematurity, low birthweight and postpartum depression. Infant Behav Dev. 2009 Dec;32(4):454-60.
6. Field T, Figueiredo B, Hemandez-Reif M, et al. Massage therapy reduces pain in pregnant women, alleviates prenatal depression in both parents and improves their relationships. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 2008;12(2):146-150.
7. Field T. Pregnancy and labor massage. Expert Review of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2010;5(2):177-81.