Busting Prenatal Massage Myths #10: Massage while pregnant can cause blood clots

Myth: During pregnancy, there is concern about the possibility of developing blood clots, especially in the legs. Increased volume means increased pressure on the blood vessels and capilaries, which can cause issues if normal circulation doesn't happen as easily as normal.

Where it comes from: This is due to a mother’s increased blood volume which is normal while pregnant. Furthermore, due to gravity, the legs and feet experience increased swelling and pressure since all this ‘extra’ gets pulled downwards. Massage comes into the concern here because there is the thought that rough, deep massage can further damage the already overloaded blood vessels which will cause blood clots to form and break loose, causing all sorts of worse problems. Some old-school massage schools and spas even teach not to touch a pregnant woman's feet or legs in any way during pregnancy just to "be extra safe" and sure that there is not a chance of creating a clot through normal deep massage manipulations.

Fact: While the swelling in the legs should be watched, massage can not cause blood clots. This is another reason to seek out a massage therapist who is specially and specifically trained in prenatal massage because they know what is safe and what can be concerning. Many therapists are trained in techniques to look for and identify blood clots to watch if they could be present, and they are also trained how to properly use strokes and pressure to keep the massage safe and beneficial. Prenatal massage on legs is done with a very light pressure and can actually help the uncomfortable-ness during this time. The focus is on helping the excess fluid and pressure to circulate back through the body safely and help slow down the accumulation of excess swelling, plus it helps provide a sense of relief and ease of fatigue by encouaging the extra fluid weight to move out and get back to the proper organs that will fliter and eliminate the excess volume.