Pregnancy, although wonderful, doesn’t always mean having the beautiful “pregnancy glow”. In fact, swollen feet can take a toll on the mother-to-be. But before heading to your favorite beauty salon for a manicure/pedicure followed by a relieving massage, read more about these ‘acupressure points’.-By Joanna Nganda
Foot massage
Acupressure is a very old practice from Asia derived from acupuncture, with the only difference that needles are replaced with finger pressure. There are over 350 acupressure points located on various places all over the body; once pressed, they help to relieve pain/stress and to relax. Acupressure is effective and popular in China for the treatment and prevention of many ailments. While these pressure points are often harmless, they can be dangerous during pregnancy, thus, making the occasional massage at the beauty salon or casual spa a shortcut to the Emergency Room. In fact, some pressure points located near the ankle bones and on the hands can be accidently pressed and cause the pelvic muscles and uterus to contract, leading to labor before term, which is not safe for the child. According to Doctor Liu, owner of the Chinese Clinic, “feet massage is normally very safe but it’s recommended to seek out a qualified pregnancy massage from a qualified therapist who has the required knowledge.” Beauty salons in Bujumbura often give a hand and foot massage as a bonus after a manicure and pedicure; the casual and incautious beautician can accidently press these spots and trigger labor contractions. Bernadette, a trained masseur in reflexology encourages future mothers to be aware of the risks “those points that are usually pressed with strength can be painful, especially those around the ankle bones. Although it is very unlikely to press them accidently during the everyday life, the chances to press them during a non-professional massage are high. Indeed, I know a woman who went into premature labor after a vigorous and painful feet massage at a beauty salon; unfortunately, she had a miscarriage.” Miscarriages related to a strong pressure applied on the wrong pressure points is very rare but Bernadette says that pre-term labor during the last term and experiencing contractions after a vigorous massage are common, “people don’t normally think that massage and sudden contractions are related” explains Bernadette. She continues, “it is hard to say ‘don’t get a foot massage’ altogether but if you want to have one during pregnancy, make sure it is from a professional masseur. Masseurs in beauty salons are beauticians, not professionals in massage or reflexology. The bottom line is: experiencing any pain during the massage should be the sign to stop the massage immediately.”
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