Anna Crellin MCTha, ITEC

Case study: Alison came to me when she was 20 weeks pregnant, nearing the end of her second trimester. She was complaining of pain in her lower back and hips, and was having trouble sleeping… Her doctor had told her she was suffering from sciatica.

During the first treatment with Alison I noticed her hips and lower back were very tight, and her upper legs were taking a lot of strain - so with lot’s of gentle massage and manipulation I began to free up the muscles in these areas, after about the third or fourth treatment I began to feel a difference in the muscle tissue, becoming softer and more relaxed. Alison commented that the pain had eased considerably and she no longer felt it shooting down her leg. I was going to refer her to an osteopath regarding the sciatica problem but when talking to Alison we decided the treatment we had been doing was working so effectively that maybe it was not necessary.

There were also emotional changes going on with Alison, who in my eyes had always taken everything in her stride but towards the end of her pregnancy she was arriving to her session looking drained and tearful, however once treated she seemed to come alive and had a more glowing look with colour in her cheeks.

It was lovely watching the change take place in Alison from treatment one until Amber was born and I found it a wonderfully bonding experience.

Testimonial: ‘I chose massage therapy in my second trimester of pregnancy because I was having a number of problems. I had pains in my back was told it was sciatica, I couldn't sleep and I was generally feeling huge and unhappy Anna was recommended to me by a friend and her treatments transformed my last few months. She managed to relieve the pain I had in my back and made me feel rejuvenated and full of energy afetr every treatment.’

Mrs A - 2006

Pregnancy Massage

Specialising in Stress reduction and relaxation in pregnancy
Pregnancy is often a time of intense emotion - both positive and negative.

With all these concerns, the pregnant woman will usually experience increased stress both mentally and physically. Research shows that ongoing stress has many adverse effects pre and post natally - this includes;

• Increased heart rate and high blood pressure

• Reduced blood supply

• Interference with foetal brain and cns development

• Higher incidence of miscarriage and prematurity

• Increased perinatal foetal distress, low birth rate and infant irritability.

Learning to relax is an integral part of all childbirth education programmes. Most experts agree that relaxation has positive results for both mother and baby and increases the chance of a positive birth experience. Prenatal specialists recommend women practice deep sustained levels of relaxation for 45-60 minutes without falling asleep especially in the last 6-8 weeks of their pregnancy – the exact length of most massage sessions!

Massage as support: Massage therapists can provide important individualised attention to the pregnant woman’s individual emotional concerns. This regular caring contact can be a vital component of a pregnant woman’s support system especially when she may not be getting this support from other sources.

Massage in pregnancy can also provide the following benefits:

• Deliverance of nutrients and oxygen.

• Removal of waste materials.

• Pain relief.

• Lymph capillaries are repeatedly emptied and refilled to fight infection.

• Stress reduction.

• Relaxation.

• Improvement in pre and post natal respiratory function.

• General feeling of well being.

Qualifications: Anna trained as a Holistic Massage Therapist at Richmond Adult College in 2004, she is ITEC qualified and since then has done many post graduate and advanced massage courses one of which specialised in advanced massage for pregnancy and has since led her to treat many pregnant woman.

Anna also has knowledge of effectively treating carpal tunnel syndrome and specialises in neck and shoulder related pain relief. She is a member of the Complementary Therapists Association that is part of the Embody organisation.