Passive way of life, insufficient physical activity and constant stresses caused a spike in diseases of the musculoskeletal system in women. Treatment of such a pathology requires methodical approach, so the question, and whether manual therapy is allowed for menstruation, excites many patients. This method of influencing the human body has been known for several millennia, but only recently, hand treatment develops on a scientific basis and considers it to be a separate type of medical science - manual therapy. Despite such venerable age, the positive and negative aspects of this method of fighting various ailments continue to cause controversy among the medical community.
Methods of manual therapy, indications and contraindications for treatment
In a medical environment, manualth therapy called a combination of various medical and diagnostic techniques, the main tool which is the hands of a specialist. Among the main ways to influence the doctor-manualist on the female body, the following methods are distinguished:
- First of all, this is the relaxation or relaxation of the muscles, tissues and ligamentous apparatus of the patient. A similar effect is achieved with the help of massage or mechanical stretching.
- In the event that the patient has a blockade of certain groups of muscles or nerve centers, specialists resort to shocks of varying strength and intensity in the region of the spine or the provoked organs. A similar technique in manual therapy is called manipulation.
- Recently, the method of mobilization has become widespread. In this case, the blocked areas are affected by several rhythmic movements, leading to stress relief, better supply of tissues with blood.
These methods are rarely used on their own, an experienced specialist develops a set of exercises for each patient individually.
In order to understand whether it is possible to do manual therapy with menstruation, it is necessary to imagine the main contraindications to the use of this type of therapeutic treatment.
When massage and other mechanical effects can not be taken
Unlike most treatment methods for various diseases, manual therapy can not cause allergic reactions and is practically safe. However, based on anamnesis of the patient's life, a good specialist will not conduct sessions of therapeutic manual therapy for various chronic diseases of the spine.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially during an exacerbation, also are a contraindication for such treatment. Exposure to nerve endings can cause an acute attack of gastritis, pancreatitis or exacerbation of stomach ulcers.
This interference in the body of a woman is prohibited for various stages after surgery. Quite often, the treatment of the musculoskeletal system has to be interrupted due to planned or emergency surgery.
For women, manual therapy also has its limitations associated with menstruation, pregnancy or lactation. More details about similar problems will be told further.
Before the beginning of the cycle of manual therapy sessions, an experienced specialist will necessarily give recommendations to the patient about conducting a survey and consulting with doctors of other specialties.
When will manual therapy
As soon as massage and other mechanical effects on the damaged parts of the body began to be recognized by medical procedures, the indications for such treatment increased dramatically. Earlier, only the musculoskeletal system was considered to be the area of application of the physician's manual, now specialists in this field successfully treat diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, and arrest various pathologies of the female sexual sphere.
Manual therapy with problems of the ear, throat and nose became widespread. With the help of point massage of problem areas, it is possible to reduce the inflammatory process, improve the trophism of tissues, and significantly reduce pain syndrome.
We should not forget about the disorders of metabolic processes in the female body. Widely advertised massage for weight loss under certain conditions really helps a woman get rid of extra pounds, and in combination with acupuncture allows to consolidate the achieved result.
What contraindications in manual therapy exist for women
The female organism is an extremely delicate mechanism, subject to various physiological problems such as menstruation, pregnancy and lactation. In addition to all kinds of hormonal changes during these periods, various organs and systems of young women become very vulnerable to external physical effects.
Massage, despite all the variety of techniques and treatments, remains a method of direct physical intervention in the physiology of the body. It can be said that manual therapy during menstruation requires some caution and is not always shown to the girl.
Sessions with menstruation: yes or no
Most domestic and foreign experts consider menstruation as a direct contraindication to the conduct of massage sessions and other physical effects on the female body. The logic in this case is simple.
Deep pressure on the abdominal area and other reflex zones can trigger profuse bleeding from the uterine cavity. This is due to a sharp flow of blood into the vessels of the small pelvis during the session of manual therapy.
The vagina of the woman and the walls of the uterus react to the massage by contraction, which usually causes premature departure of the mucous cork of the cervix and provokes a disorder of the menstrual cycle. Similar problems can occur not only when exposed to the abdominal wall and thigh area, conducting manual therapy of the back excites the nerve endings of the spinal segments. All this leads to an expansion of blood vessels that supply blood to the organs of the small pelvis.
Proved and neuro-sensory effect on the uterus massage sessions in the region of the shins. A physical effect on the patient's feet in 90% of cases is the cause of increased pressure in the veins that supply the uterus with blood. This leads to bleeding from the vagina.
Do not forget about the hormonal restructuring of the female body during menstruation. Conducting manual therapy often causes the excitation of the pituitary and hypothalamus. There is a jump in the release of oxytocin into the vascular bed, which can stimulate a reduction in the uterine wall and premature separation of the fetal egg.
Even without going into similar physiological and biochemical details, it should be noted that the holding of massage sessions should be hindered by the elementary feeling of disgust at the woman. Monthly bleeding is quite an intimate process, and if there is an opportunity to postpone the sessions of manual therapy, this must be done.
Manual therapy for pregnancy and lactation
Among the many contra-indications that exist for pregnant women, massage is among the top ten. The fact is that during pregnancy, manual therapy can cause spastic contractions of the uterine wall, which usually leads to the development of bleeding and premature termination of pregnancy. For most future mothers, such a procedure is not recommended.
If the course of manual therapy is included in prenatal preparation, for example, in severe scoliosis in a pregnant woman, the intensity and site of exposure must be calculated strictly individually. Control of the obstetrician-gynecologist for the condition of the mother and the future child should be daily.
After the birth of a baby, a woman can apply to a manual therapist 2 to 3 months after the day of delivery. This precaution is associated with a period of complete contraction of the uterine wall and an attempt to avoid late postpartum hemorrhages.
Massage and manual therapy during breastfeeding is a fairly large topic requiring a separate conversation. It should be noted that the lactation process does not interfere with the massage, except for the area of the mammary glands.
We recommend reading the article about massage during menstruation. From it you will learn about the possibility of holding it during menstruation, the benefits and effectiveness of the procedure, the possibility of self-massage, as well as methods for eliminating painful sensations with menstruation. Instead of the conclusion of
Manual therapy, like most methods of treatment, has its positive and negative sides. Reflex action on the nervous system of a woman can activate many processes in the patient's body, including upsetting the menstrual cycle.
Massage during menstruation is not a vital necessity, and patients should, in pursuit of beauty, think about the consequences of their reckless actions. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that for the specialists in manual therapy the financial component often comes out on top.
Before beginning the massage, any woman should get advice from their doctor about the possibility of such treatment. It is advisable to ask the gynecologist how and when it is not necessary to expose your body to physical exertion, including manual therapy. First of all, the woman herself is responsible for her own health.