16/04/2026
✨️ What studies say to say about the benefits of pregnancy massage?
Dets for the studies are included :)
~ “Massage has been shown to be valuable to pregnant women with anxiety, depression, leg, and back pain, and has shown significant benefit in perception of pain during labor” (Pachtman et al, 2021).
DOI: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000638
~ “Massage therapy has been demonstrated to be effective during pregnancy. Women who received massage therapy reported decreased depression, anxiety, and leg and back pain. Cortisol levels decreased and, in turn, excessive fetal activity decreased, and the rate of prematurity was lower in the massage group. In a study of labor pain, women who received massage therapy experienced significantly less pain, and their labors were on average 3h shorter with less need for medication” (Field, 2010). https://doi.org/10.1586/eog.10.12
~ “In the third study (Field, 2014), pregnant women diagnosed with major depression were given 12 weeks of twice weekly massage therapy by their significant other, or only standard treatment as a control group [3]. The massage therapy group women versus the control group women not only had reduced depression by the end of the therapy period, but they also had reduced depression and cortisol levels during the postpartum period. Their newborns were also less likely to be born prematurely (4 vs 16%) and with low birth weight (2 vs 10%), and they had lower cortisol levels and performed better on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment habituation, orientation and motor scales. ” (Field, 2010). https://doi.org/10.1586/eog.10.12
~ "Non-pharmacologic treatments to support mental health are an important option for women during pregnancy. As shown in our meta-analysis, massage therapy may be effective with regards to antenatal women's anxiety and depression when compared to usual care alone. Effects on anxiety, and depression both had a moderate overall effect size" (Hall et al., 2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102818sage has been shown to be valuable to pregnant women with anxiety, depression, leg, and back pain, and has shown significant benefit in perception of pain duri