Massage During Period | Can I Get a Massage When On My Period?

Period pain is one of the many PMS symptoms experienced by women. Although obtaining a massage during your period or menstrual cycle may help you relax and decrease stress, some individuals believe it might increase blood flow and result in more bleeding than usual.

So, what is the correct response? Should you obtain a massage during your period to alleviate pain, or should you wait until your period has ended before visiting a spa? In this article, we’ll discover the solutions.

How Can Massage Help You During Your Period?

It’s completely safe and even beneficial to get a massage during your period. In fact, getting a massage during menstruation can help alleviate cramps, reduce bloating and water retention, and promote relaxation and stress relief.

Also, many massage therapists are trained in techniques that can specifically target menstrual symptoms, such as abdominal massage to reduce cramping and promote healthy blood flow.

There are many studies have shown that women who regularly get massages have less discomfort and fluctuating moods [1].

However, a massage may increase your monthly flow for a day following the massage, even though it may help with period discomfort. Keep in mind that the increase in blood flow also has beneficial benefits on menstruation. Back discomfort and cramping may be lessened by increased blood flow.

What Kind of Massage is Ideal for Period Pain?

The best massage type for period-related symptoms would be a Swedish massage, which focuses on relaxing the entire body and promoting circulation. This can help alleviate menstrual cramps and reduce bloating by increasing blood flow to the affected areas.

Additionally, aromatherapy with essential oils can help alleviate menstrual symptoms and enhance the overall relaxation and stress relief benefits of the massage. Several studies have shown that essential oils can help decrease pain and discomfort by promoting calmness and relaxation [2] [3].

During your monthly cycle, clary sage, copaiba, rose, peppermint, cypress oil, lavender, frankincense, and cinnamon are excellent essential oils to pick.

Another type is a hot stone massage, which can also be beneficial for period-related symptoms. The warmth of the stones can help to relax muscles and increase blood flow, which can in turn alleviate menstrual cramps and reduce discomfort.

Is At-Home Massage Possible during Period?

There are massage methods you may perform at your home on your own, or you can ask the help from your partner to cure period discomfort, but if you want a more skilled procedure, you can schedule a massage online and have it delivered to your house.

Those Methods include:

1. Compression Massage for Period Pain

Compressing the sacrum during the period and massaging the glutes can aid with the overall PMS symptoms by increasing temperature and circulation which allows the muscle to soften and lengthen.

It can also help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to aid relaxation, and hormones such as endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine are released that produce feelings of calmness and happiness.

2. Foot Massage for Period Pain

Period discomfort and other PMS-related symptoms may be cured by massaging the region around the ankles, which corresponds to the lower abdomen. The foot massage method may be used on oneself as well, so a helper may not be necessary.

Can You Have a Massage While in Period Flow? How About When Your Flow is Strong?

Some spas may ask whether you are on your period before a massage, although this is often to determine how much pressure to use.

Most massage experts agree that having your period does not need you to cancel your spa session; nonetheless, you must inform your massage therapist so that he may take extra measures while massaging your abdomen. Therefore, be careful to inform the therapist about the current blood flow.

It is safe and beneficial to have massage therapy from days 1 through 7 of your menstrual cycle. The initial few days (days 1-3), when the flow is at its peak, may be aided by providing mild pressure to the abdomen and pelvis. If you are sensitive to touch or uncomfortable with it, advise a mild and soothing massage rather than a vigorous one.

In addition, receiving a massage during the PMS phase of your cycle, which lasts 7 to 10 days before your period, is an excellent option.

Massage therapy may significantly improve your mood if you suffer from PMS symptoms, such as hormone headaches and mood swings, by stimulating the synthesis of feel-good brain chemicals. If aromatherapy is used in the massage session, all the better!

My Suggestion When You Get Massage During Period:

It might be worthwhile to try a professional period massage if you are experiencing pain throughout your period.

Period massage, in my view, is a crucial component of period care since it has been shown to reduce depression and treat PMS symptoms when scheduled regularly throughout a woman’s monthly period.

When you are on your period, I strongly recommend you carefully choose a good spa and chat with the team, and seek their advice on suitable massage sessions considering the situation of your period cycle.

Also, ensure, you wear the right dress to massage when you are on period, as this is also very important.

So, next time you’re on your period and in need of some relaxation and relief, consider booking a massage and reap the benefits of this self-care practice. Your menstrual cycle shouldn’t hold you back from taking care of yourself and feeling your best.

References:

[1] Taylor & Francis. (n.d.-b). Premenstrual symptoms are relieved by massage therapy. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/01674820009075603

[2] Lee, M. S., Lee, H. S., Khalil, M., Lim, H., & Lim, H. (2018). Aromatherapy for Managing Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 7(11), 434. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7110434

[3] Jonas, W. B., Schoomaker, E., Berry, K. J., & Buckenmaier, C. C. (2016). A Time for Massage. Pain Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnw086

[4] Lau, M. (2018, January 18). Can massage help with period pain? Retrieved from https://urban.co/editorial/can-massage-ease-period-pain/

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