Health

Everything You Need to Know About Maternity Massage | Why Does it Matter?

Pregnancy is a magical time in a woman’s life, full of excitement and anticipation. But let’s face it; it’s not always easy. As your body undergoes significant changes, it’s normal to feel discomfort, fatigue, and stress.

That’s why taking care of yourself, both physically and mentally, is crucial during this time. Luckily, one way to do this is through massage therapy. However, not all massages are equal, and expecting mothers should be aware of the differences between regular and maternity massages in San Antonio.

In this article, we’ll dive into the world of maternity massage, why it matters, and how it can benefit you during this special time. So sit back, relax, and let’s explore together!

Maternity Massage vs Regular Massage: What’s the Difference?

While there are many similarities between maternity massage in San Antonio and regular massage, some differences are worth noting.

Positioning:

Maternity massage typically involves lying on your side with a specialized pregnancy pillow that supports your belly and hips. This position is comfortable and safe for both the mother and the baby. In contrast, regular massage typically involves lying face down on a massage table, which is not possible during pregnancy.

Pressure:

Maternity massage therapists are trained to use gentle and soothing techniques that avoid pressure points that could trigger contractions or harm the baby. Regular massage therapists use more force, and some techniques may not be safe during pregnancy.

Focus Areas:

Maternity massage focuses on areas that are under stress during pregnancy, such as the lower back, hips, and legs. Regular massage can focus on any area of the body, depending on the client’s needs.

The Power of Specialized Care: Why Maternity Massage is Essential for Pregnancy?

Maternity massage goes beyond mere relaxation; it is a therapeutic modality that is thoughtfully designed to alleviate the discomforts associated with pregnancy!

From easing the strain on your muscles and joints to relieving lower back pain and swelling, each session is tailored to address your unique concerns and promote your overall well-being. Moreover, maternity massage nurtures a deep sense of relaxation and tranquility, allowing you to find respite from the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy.

Through delicate and soothing techniques, skilled practitioners create a safe and peaceful environment that encourages your body and mind to unwind, promoting a sense of harmony and balance during this transformative period.

Spas For Pregnant Women

Spas for pregnant woman are wellness centers that offer a range of services designed specifically for expectant mothers. These services may include:

Prenatal massage
Yoga
Acupuncture
Nutritional counseling

Prepare to be captivated by the infusion of groundbreaking wellness enhancements that elevate the spa experience. From the mesmerizing sounds of specially curated music playlists that promote deep relaxation to the harmonious blending of essential oils through advanced aromatherapy techniques, every aspect is meticulously crafted to create a sensory journey that nurtures your body, mind, and spirit.

How Can Maternity Massage Benefit Pregnant Women?

Maternity massage has numerous benefits for pregnant women, including:

Enhanced Circulation and Nutrient Delivery:

Maternity massage stimulates blood flow, optimizing the delivery of vital nutrients and oxygen to both you and your developing baby. This increased circulation supports your baby’s overall health and development while nourishing your body.

Hormonal Balance and Emotional Well-being:

Maternity massage profoundly impacts hormonal balance, fostering emotional well-being during this rollercoaster journey. Through skilled touch, massage triggers the release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, creating a natural cascade of mood-enhancing hormones that promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and uplift your spirits.

Fascial Release and Improved Flexibility:

Pregnancy places unique strains on your body, affecting your connective tissues, known as fascia. Maternity massage incorporates mild techniques that target the fascial system, promoting flexibility, releasing the tension, and restoring the body’s natural range of motion.

This newfound freedom of movement enhances your comfort and ease throughout your pregnancy.

Alleviation of Sciatic Nerve Pain:

Sciatic nerve pain is a common discomfort experienced by many pregnant women. Maternity massage employs specific techniques to target and relieve this pain, addressing the root cause and restoring comfort to your daily life.

Optimal Baby Positioning:

Skilled maternity massage practitioners possess the knowledge and expertise to encourage optimal positioning of your baby in the womb. They can create more space and alignment through gentle manipulations and practices, potentially reducing the risk of complications during labor and delivery.

Immune System Support:

Pregnancy places unique demands on your immune system, and maternity massage can significantly support its optimal functioning. By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, massage therapy may fortify immune system responses, helping keep you and your baby healthy throughout the pregnancy.

Postpartum Recovery and Rejuvenation:

The benefits of maternity massage include offering a path to postpartum recovery and rejuvenation. It can aid in reducing postpartum affliction, promoting faster healing, and easing the transition into motherhood’s joys and challenges.

Maternity Massage at Prenatal Massage Center

According to a study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, women who received regular prenatal massages had shorter labors, less need for medication, and fewer birth complications than those who did not.

Additionally, prenatal massage can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy. A study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that women who received prenatal massages had significantly lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) and higher levels of dopamine and serotonin (feel-good hormones) than those who did not receive massages.

Final Thoughts

As expectant mothers embark on the transformative journey of pregnancy, the realm of maternity massage stands as a beacon of solace, offering an array of remarkable uses that nurture both body and soul.

Mama Bear Massage is a top choice for expectant mothers in San Antonio who want to experience maternity massage. With a team of licensed massage therapists who are experts in prenatal and postpartum massage, we provide safe and effective services tailored to the unique needs of each mother.

Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP