chair massage low back work contraindicated for pregnancy?

[Pompal 09.]

hey,
certified massage practitioner here (700 hr. spa therapist certificate), have gained much practice, have a good handle on physiology, and I keep up with continuing ed.

recently was doing a 10 min. chair massage on a woman who was pregnant (I can't remember how far along she was, but was somewhere in the middle). I was doing some shiatsu type work down the erectors with my thumbs and fists (flat) incl. the lower back (i.e. static compressions, sinking in over about 5 seconds). I was being slow and conservative with the pressure, but was still sinking into the muscle.

My coworker, who is RMT, saw me doing this and advised me after the massage to avoid the low back for pregnant women, especially "deep" work. It may have looked like I was going very deep due to my body mechanics (I was in a deep lunge for example), but I don't think I was going especially "deep". Moreover, I'm not entirely sure that work on the low back erectors should necessarily be contraindicated during pregnancy. (of course the client was well aware that she could advise me about uncomfortable pressure)
any guidance for me?

p.s. it's my first post, thanks in advance for welcoming me to this great resource!

 

[jcab20055]

chair massage low back work contraindicated for pregnancy?

hey,
certified massage practitioner here (700 hr. spa therapist certificate), have gained much practice, have a good handle on physiology, and I keep up with continuing ed.

recently was doing a 10 min. chair massage on a woman who was pregnant (I can't remember how far along she was, but was somewhere in the middle). I was doing some shiatsu type work down the erectors with my thumbs and fists (flat) incl. the lower back (i.e. static compressions, sinking in over about 5 seconds). I was being slow and conservative with the pressure, but was still sinking into the muscle.

My coworker, who is RMT, saw me doing this and advised me after the massage to avoid the low back for pregnant women, especially "deep" work. It may have looked like I was going very deep due to my body mechanics (I was in a deep lunge for example), but I don't think I was going especially "deep". Moreover, I'm not entirely sure that work on the low back erectors should necessarily be contraindicated during pregnancy. (of course the client was well aware that she could advise me about uncomfortable pressure)
any guidance for me?

p.s. it's my first post, thanks in advance for welcoming me to this great resource!

Welcome to MassagePlanetL! Please remember to post your introduction in the appropriate forum, if you haven't already done so.

I am not aware of any specific contraindications for that type of work during pregnancy, other than be careful not to squash the bump when your client is on the chair. It sounds like you were working responsibly, so don't worry about it. However, it would be educational to have that RMT explain his/her concerns about what they observed you doing. Ask them to be as specific as possible and cite sources of info backing up their concerns so you can follow up.

Note: I am certified in pregnancy massage under Kate Jordan (http://www.katejordanseminars,com). You could contact her for additional expert advice.

 

[Pompal 09.]

chair massage low back work contraindicated for pregnancy?

hey,
certified massage practitioner here (700 hr. spa therapist certificate), have gained much practice, have a good handle on physiology, and I keep up with continuing ed.

recently was doing a 10 min. chair massage on a woman who was pregnant (I can't remember how far along she was, but was somewhere in the middle). I was doing some shiatsu type work down the erectors with my thumbs and fists (flat) incl. the lower back (i.e. static compressions, sinking in over about 5 seconds). I was being slow and conservative with the pressure, but was still sinking into the muscle.

My coworker, who is RMT, saw me doing this and advised me after the massage to avoid the low back for pregnant women, especially "deep" work. It may have looked like I was going very deep due to my body mechanics (I was in a deep lunge for example), but I don't think I was going especially "deep". Moreover, I'm not entirely sure that work on the low back erectors should necessarily be contraindicated during pregnancy. (of course the client was well aware that she could advise me about uncomfortable pressure)
any guidance for me?

p.s. it's my first post, thanks in advance for welcoming me to this great resource!

Welcome to MassagePlanetL! Please remember to post your introduction in the appropriate forum, if you haven't already done so.

I am not aware of any specific contraindications for that type of work during pregnancy, other than be careful not to squash the bump when your client is on the chair. It sounds like you were working responsibly, so don't worry about it. However, it would be educational to have that RMT explain his/her concerns about what they observed you doing. Ask them to be as specific as possible and cite sources of info backing up their concerns so you can follow up.

Note: I am certified in pregnancy massage under Kate Jordan (http://www.katejordanseminars,com). You could contact her for additional expert advice.

http://www.katejordanseminars.com

Fixed the link for you, Jason.

OP, I agree with Jason. I was told in school about a lot more "danger zones" for pregnancy than my prenatal instructor (http://www.kellylott.com) mentioned. She said those "cautions" were there because of the liability in working with the unknowns of pregnancy.

 

[Ryan P]

chair massage low back work contraindicated for pregnancy?

I do a lot of chair massage. I have worked on pregnant women when they come. I second Jason in making sure that you don't squish the bump and I tend to go very lightly over the LB.

However when one does chair massage, there is generally minimal information taken in the the way of an intake. Eric Brown of Relax to the Max teaches three basic questions - 1 Have you had any recent injury? 2 Are you in severe pain? and 3 Do you have any skin condition that would be irritated by massage? This is for a relaxation massage.

Are you going to harm the woman or her fetus? No. If she happens to have a miscarriage later that day, or the next, or the next week, she is going to want to blame something or someone - and the person who massaged her low back in a massage chair is going to be high on her list. In a litigious society, it is protection more for you than for her, to be cautious.