Expectant moms find comfort in prenatal massage

By Keith Bradford

Jo-Ella Kaminski discovered the benefits of prenatal massage as a patient, long before she went to school to learn how to help moms-to-be.

“I had massages during my pregnancies. I don’t know what I would have done without it,” says the registered massage therapist, who practices at Mount Royal University’s Injury & Prevention Clinic. “That’s partly where my interest in it started. When I got pregnant, I talked to (my massage therapist) and we came up with a treatment plan for my pregnancies. I wanted to pass that on to other women.”

Kaminski, whose oldest child is now 28, has spent the past 16 years working in massage therapy — the last 13 at MRU. She treats clients of all ages, with a variety of conditions, and completed special training in prenatal massage and Thai mat massage.

“Pregnancy involves a lot of changes to the female body,” Kaminski explains, one of three therapists who offers massage services at the MRU Injury & Prevention Clinic. They use various techniques, including Swedish massage and trigger point therapy. 

“Some of the changes we are prepared for, as women, such as weight gain. Shifting balance is something we are not prepared for. Another thing is the loosening of the muscles and ligaments. Many women are not prepared for the degree that that happens, so they get a lot of low back aches.”

Kaminski says new appointments typically start by confirming how far along the patient is in their pregnancy, followed by a review of their medical history.

“You don’t want anything within the first 10 weeks. You want to make sure the pregnancy is solidified and find out how much they can lay on their stomach. If it’s uncomfortable, we can sideline them and treat them on their side,” she says.

“The misconception years ago was, ‘Is it safe to have massage through pregnancy?’ The answer has always been yes, unless there’s a medical condition that prevents you from having massage. 

“I get a lot of people who come in at the end of their first trimester and I see them until they go on maternity leave.”

Kaminski said patients who are towards the end of their pregnancy typically need extra support to find positions that are safe and comfortable for them to receive treatment.

“The further along you are, the more you want to support certain parts of the body,” she says. 

Massage therapy is one of several treatment options available to expectant mothers at the  MRU Injury and Prevention Clinic, which is located at 4825 Mt Royal Gate in Southwest Calgary. 

“Physiotherapy can help during pregnancy and chiro and acupuncture does as well,” she says. 

“Your tendons and fascia can get tight, as well as the muscle, and all that has an impact on how we feel. Massage helps relax people — it helps loosen the muscles and realign everything.”

Many patients return to the clinic for massage services after their baby or babies have been delivered.

“After the (birth) your body goes through changes in reverse. Now the muscles are stiffening up, there’s an extra tension and heaviness,” she says. 

Although Kaminski offers massage to patients of all ages, with many different conditions, she finds her work with expectant mothers particularly fulfilling.

“It made a big difference to me in how tired I felt during the pregnancy, at each stage,” she says of receiving prenatal massage. “It also made a difference in keeping the muscles looser so I could move a lot more freely. 

“It’s very rewarding to see how much progress my (patients) are making and how much relief they’re getting from massage.”

Book an appointment with the team at MRU Injury & Prevention Clinic. Open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Appointments can be booked online or by calling 403.440.6917.