Light Touch Therapy can Ease Pregnancy Problems

By Pacific College - May 14, 2015

It’s no secret that pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery subject most women to a gauntlet of physical and emotional challenges. Light touch Craniosacral Therapy (CST) can offer considerable relief in dealing with the discomforts and demands of pregnancy.

So what exactly is Light Touch CST?  Quite simply, it’s a gentle method for resolving physical and emotional issues. Therapists work with the body’s connective tissue–tissue that connects and supports every part of the human anatomy–to access and correct any restrictions in this tissue. Therapists will apply a very light touch, which allows for deeper contact that penetrates the central nervous system. By doing so, CST techniques work with the body’s ability to heal itself, to treat the root cause of a condition, rather than the symptom. A key benefit of light touch CST is that it is non-invasive with no side effects.

BENEFITS OF CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY DURING PREGNANCY

Prenatal CST sessions can reduce the effects of daily stress and gently improve mobility in the mother’s pelvis, allowing her baby to more easily assume an ideal position for birth. CST sessions also provide some peace of mind, allowing many women to express any fears or concerns about their transition to motherhood.

A CST practitioner evaluates the body and uses a light touch to encourage expansion, mobility and healing. Working with the CranioSacral rhythm, the light massage releases restrictions in the body and pelvis to help the birthing experience. This eases tension and allows women to prepare for labor and birth. It also helps to ease and prevent ligament pain, and low back, hip or rib pain. During labor and birth, CST helps to balance and unwind the pelvis, uterus and sacrum, and ensures the best fetal positioning.

Easing Labor and Delivery Challenges

Many women suffer from swelling during pregnancy. Lymphatic Drainage Therapy (LDT) can help. Developed in the 1930s, LDT is a delicate form of massage that stimulates the body’s lymphatic system, improving its overall metabolism. In practice, trained LDT practitioners use gentle, rhythmical circling movements of the skin to stimulate the contractions of the lymphatic vessels. This not only helps to detoxify tissues, regenerate cells and improve circulation, but it also helps to remove excess fluids from the body’s tissues.

For more information on light touch and lymph drainage therapies, please contact Pacific College of Oriental Medicine at (800) 729-0941, or visit Pacific College

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Pacific College

Pacific College of Health and Science (PCHS) is a leading institution in holistic and integrative healthcare education, deeply rooted in Chinese medicine since 1986. As the largest school of Chinese medicine in the U.S., PCHS offers a wide range of innovative programs, including online and on-campus degrees in holistic nursing, massage therapy, and integrative medicine.

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