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Original Article

Pregnant women benefit from massage therapy

, , , , &
Pages 31-38 | Received 23 Oct 1997, Accepted 12 May 1998, Published online: 07 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Twenty-six pregnant women were assigned to a massage therapy or a relaxation therapy group for 5 weeks. The therapies consisted of 20-min sessions twice a week. Both groups reported feeling less anxious after the first session and less leg pain after the first and last session. Only the massage therapy group, however, reported reduced anxiety, improved mood, better sleep and less back pain by the last day of the study. In addition, urinary stress hormone levels (norepinephrine) decreased for the massage therapy group and the women had fewer complications during tabor and their infants had fewer postnatal complications (e.g., less prematurity).

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