Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

My lamaze teacher/labor nurse advised no calf massage at all during
pregnancy...something about the blood being heavier during pregnancy and
collecting in the lower body and massage unearthing a clot that could travel to
the lungs and.....you know the rest. I ran it by my doctor and he absolutley
agreed. I was a bit surprised as no one advised against this during the
beginning of my pregnancy
(now in week 38) and I had a ton of pedicures with very deep accupressure to my
calves. My doctor even went so far as to say that during a Charley Horse or
leg cramp not to massage the calf which is so instinctive for me. He said it
could be dangerous and I should just flex my foot or stand up.

I'm kind of annoyed it wasn't mentioned earlier on.

Anyway, thought I 'd share.

Lisa

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

"Zucca4" wrote in message
...
My lamaze teacher/labor nurse advised no calf massage at all during
pregnancy...something about the blood being heavier during pregnancy and
collecting in the lower body and massage unearthing a clot that could
travel to
the lungs and.....you know the rest. I ran it by my doctor and he
absolutley
agreed. I was a bit surprised as no one advised against this during the
beginning of my pregnancy
(now in week 38) and I had a ton of pedicures with very deep accupressure
to my
calves. My doctor even went so far as to say that during a Charley Horse
or
leg cramp not to massage the calf which is so instinctive for me. He said
it
could be dangerous and I should just flex my foot or stand up.

I'm kind of annoyed it wasn't mentioned earlier on.

Anyway, thought I 'd share.

Lisa


That's silly and there's absolutly no truth that I can find in medical
studies to even suggest anything like that. As a matter of fact, all I can
find are sites that endorse pregnancy message, including the calves and
thighs.






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Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

"Denise" wrote in message
...

"Zucca4" wrote in message
...
My lamaze teacher/labor nurse advised no calf massage at all during
pregnancy...something about the blood being heavier during pregnancy and
collecting in the lower body and massage unearthing a clot that could
travel to
the lungs and.....you know the rest. I ran it by my doctor and he
absolutley
agreed. I was a bit surprised as no one advised against this during the
beginning of my pregnancy
(now in week 38) and I had a ton of pedicures with very deep
accupressure
to my
calves. My doctor even went so far as to say that during a Charley
Horse
or
leg cramp not to massage the calf which is so instinctive for me. He
said
it
could be dangerous and I should just flex my foot or stand up.

I'm kind of annoyed it wasn't mentioned earlier on.

Anyway, thought I 'd share.

Lisa


That's silly and there's absolutly no truth that I can find in medical
studies to even suggest anything like that. As a matter of fact, all I
can
find are sites that endorse pregnancy message, including the calves and
thighs.



Well my pedicure before I had Lewis felt *fabulous* and I'd totally
recommend it to any pregnant woman.
I've never heard of such a thing before.

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

Sounds a bit strange to me!

My pregnancy book also advises massaging the affected area for leg cramps
(In addition to standing up or flexing the muscles up).



"Zucca4" wrote in message
...
My lamaze teacher/labor nurse advised no calf massage at all during
pregnancy...something about the blood being heavier during pregnancy and
collecting in the lower body and massage unearthing a clot that could
travel to
the lungs and.....you know the rest. I ran it by my doctor and he
absolutley
agreed. I was a bit surprised as no one advised against this during the
beginning of my pregnancy
(now in week 38) and I had a ton of pedicures with very deep accupressure
to my
calves. My doctor even went so far as to say that during a Charley Horse
or
leg cramp not to massage the calf which is so instinctive for me. He said
it
could be dangerous and I should just flex my foot or stand up.

I'm kind of annoyed it wasn't mentioned earlier on.

Anyway, thought I 'd share.

Lisa

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

Zucca4 wrote:

My lamaze teacher/labor nurse advised no calf massage at all during
pregnancy...something about the blood being heavier during pregnancy and
collecting in the lower body and massage unearthing a clot that could travel to
the lungs and.....you know the rest. I ran it by my doctor and he absolutley
agreed. I was a bit surprised as no one advised against this during the
beginning of my pregnancy
(now in week 38) and I had a ton of pedicures with very deep accupressure to my
calves. My doctor even went so far as to say that during a Charley Horse or
leg cramp not to massage the calf which is so instinctive for me. He said it
could be dangerous and I should just flex my foot or stand up.

I'm kind of annoyed it wasn't mentioned earlier on.

Anyway, thought I 'd share.

Lisa




I absolutely did not know that. That is exactly what I did when I was
pregnant with my DD! Thanks for sharing that.

--
Vidya
mom to Vandu(4)
EDD May 6th '04

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

Denise wrote in message
That's silly and there's absolutly no truth that I can find in medical
studies to even suggest anything like that. As a matter of fact, all I
can
find are sites that endorse pregnancy message, including the calves and
thighs.

It certainly is a medical fact or at least it was when I was in school. I
learned this through medical training I recieved as as a nursing assistant.
We were not allowed to massage calf muscles because of blood clots that
could be there and it can loosen up and move to the lungs. However, I don't
think all people are at risk, but certainly a pregnant woman would be with
more blood flow. Certain people who are bedridden, but if you are an active
pregnant woman, than I am sure the risks are very low. But, it is true. :o)
--
Sue (mom to three girls)
I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World...

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

interesting...I never gave it much thought either, but after reading today's
posts I decided to ask a totally different doctor, the one who performs my
Bio-physical profiles and he wasn't surprised at all. Definitley said "death"
would be a rare instance but said calf massage was NOT advisable during
pregnancy although a pedicure with a FOOT massage would be A-ok. He said no one
in his present practice ever suffered a clot to the lungs but when he had
started out 20 years ago at his NYC office a young mother had died from what
they finally attributed to a deep massage not performed by a maternal-massage
expert.

Whatever.....for the next two weeks I can do without any calf massage I guess
:)

I've always been one to err on the side of caution.

Lisa

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

Zucca4 wrote:
My lamaze teacher/labor nurse advised no calf massage at all during
pregnancy...something about the blood being heavier during pregnancy and
collecting in the lower body and massage unearthing a clot that could travel to
the lungs and.....you know the rest. I ran it by my doctor and he absolutley
agreed.

I had loads of calf massages when pregnant, especially towards the end
of pregnancy when I would get really bad cramps. The cramps indicate a
build-up of muscle waste products in the muscles, which are normally
removed by the blood stream. In pregnancy this is less effective, but
I honestly have never heard *not* to massage, quite the contrary. The
midwife recommended a calf massage when going to bed and putting the
legs up a bit, to improve circulation. It did help a lot. But then
again, I'm no doctor...

--
-- I
mommy to DS (15m)
guardian of DH (32)
War doesn't decide who's right, only who's left

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

Sue wrote:

It certainly is a medical fact or at least it was when I was in school. I
learned this through medical training I recieved as as a nursing assistant.
We were not allowed to massage calf muscles because of blood clots that
could be there and it can loosen up and move to the lungs. However, I don't
think all people are at risk, but certainly a pregnant woman would be with
more blood flow. Certain people who are bedridden, but if you are an active
pregnant woman, than I am sure the risks are very low. But, it is true. :o)

When I was pregnant with the twins, I was Medivac-ed to a hospital
because the local doctor thought a clot travelled from my leg to my
lungs. I was having leg cramps (a common occurrence during pregnancy)
but I also had trouble breathing and had started to hyper-ventilate
(later attributed to altitude sickness plus tiredness/anxiety).

They took a bunch of low-level x-rays and everything was fine.

--
Brigitte aa #2145
edd #3 February 15, 2004
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/joshuaandkaterina/

"Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare."
~ Harriet Martineau

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

Zucca4 wrote:
interesting...I never gave it much thought either, but after reading
today's posts I decided to ask a totally different doctor, the one
who performs my Bio-physical profiles and he wasn't surprised at
all. Definitley said "death" would be a rare instance but said calf
massage was NOT advisable during pregnancy although a pedicure with a
FOOT massage would be A-ok. He said no one in his present practice
ever suffered a clot to the lungs but when he had started out 20
years ago at his NYC office a young mother had died from what they
finally attributed to a deep massage not performed by a
maternal-massage expert.

Whatever.....for the next two weeks I can do without any calf massage
I guess

This is surprising to me. The prenatal massage I had was seemed deep
and she worked my legs as well as arms and back. It seemed to be
standard. What would an expert do that's so special?

Carolyn


--
Carolyn Fairman
http://www.stanford.edu/~cfairman/

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

In ,
Zucca4 wrote:

*My lamaze teacher/labor nurse advised no calf massage at all during
*pregnancy...something about the blood being heavier during pregnancy and
*collecting in the lower body and massage unearthing a clot that could travel to
*the lungs and.....you know the rest. I ran it by my doctor and he absolutley
*agreed. I was a bit surprised as no one advised against this during the
*beginning of my pregnancy

The person who does my pedicures told me she couldn't do any foot massage
during my third trimester for similar reasons. I told my doctor at my next
appointment and he actually called her and reamed her out on the spot.
What a bunch of BS.

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large :)

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

Why would your doctor "ream" someone who was attempting to act cautiously on
your behalf regardelss of whether she was correct or not? I can understand some
gentle "enlightenment" but a "ream" seemed hardly deserved....

I wish I had a doctor who had the TIME to call my pedicurist :)

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

In ,
Zucca4 wrote:

*Why would your doctor "ream" someone who was attempting to act cautiously on
*your behalf regardelss of whether she was correct or not? I can understand some
*gentle "enlightenment" but a "ream" seemed hardly deserved....

Ok, maybe ream was the wrong word. He did start out very gently but he
became somewhat heated when it became apparent the woman wasn't listening
to him, that's all.

*I wish I had a doctor who had the TIME to call my pedicurist :)

Heh. My doctor was generous with his time for me. It sometimes took an
hour and a half to get into his exam room, but once you were in, he was
all yours until you were done.

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large :)

Pedicures/Calf Massage...total no-no?
 

"Zucca4" wrote in message
...
My lamaze teacher/labor nurse advised no calf massage at all during
pregnancy...something about the blood being heavier during pregnancy and
collecting in the lower body and massage unearthing a clot that could
travel to
the lungs and.....you know the rest. I ran it by my doctor and he
absolutley
agreed. I was a bit surprised as no one advised against this during the
beginning of my pregnancy
(now in week 38) and I had a ton of pedicures with very deep accupressure
to my
calves. My doctor even went so far as to say that during a Charley Horse
or
leg cramp not to massage the calf which is so instinctive for me. He said
it
could be dangerous and I should just flex my foot or stand up.

I'm kind of annoyed it wasn't mentioned earlier on.

Anyway, thought I 'd share.

Lisa

Wow.......I go and get a Pedicure/Calf Massage twice a month sometimes 3
times a month depending on if I need a polish change. Anyways my doctor and
a couple of midwives there told me I had nice feet and gave me nothing but
compliments. Never once did anyone of them say not to get it done.
Hmmmm.........I'm gonna ask them what they think and why they never said
anything to me.

Crystal

The logic behind death by calf massage is certainly plausible, but it ends there. It's true that pregnancy put you at a hypercoagulable state, this is well documented (Pubmed ID:22145820 this article quotes a 6x increase risk in third trimester and a 22x increase risk 6 weeks postpartum). This is a risk multiplier, that's all. It DOES NOT GUARANTEE that you will have a clot. Obviously, if you smoke, AND take hormones, AND have cancer, your multipliers add up and you may actually get a clot.

Secondly, venous thromboembolisms are common, but they are classified under superficial venous thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the difference between the two are that DVTs occur ABOVE the trifurcation (back of leg opposite the knee). DVTs are generally NOT life threatening and account for a very small percentage of clots. But DVTs in some cases can extend upwards and throw clots into your lungs, at which point it is called a pulmonary embolism (PE). The DEATH RATE from PE is 20-30% if untreated, and only 2-3% if treated. But you could just as easily develop a pulmonary embolism spontaneously, WITHOUT a DVT. Your DVT/PE risk are evaluated with the Well's Criteria (YOU SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THIS CRITERIA ON YOURSELF UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED CLINICIAN AS DOCTORS OFTEN MISUSES IT)

So,
1) the risk of clot during pregnancy is low
2) the risk of DVT is lower
3) the risk of PE from a DVT is even lower
4) the risk of pushing a clot from your leg into your lungs is super low, as people undergo this everyday in the hospital as part of ultrasound study to find out whether they have clots in their legs
5) the risk of dying from PE is 20-30% untreated, 2-3% if treated... I'm going to bet you will run to the ER if you start vomitting blood. I'm sure a few less intelligent mothers will ignore it.... there are all sorts of people after all.
6) Conclusion: clinically calf massage causing death through pulmonary embolus is astronomically low, you'll have better luck being run over by cars.



Also, I would ask you to refrain from posting anecdotal experiences that are not followed by any medical or scientific support. They only serve to mislead and confuse people on this forum as they have no clinical judgement nor medical experience. I am not a hematologist, so I don't even attempt to use the Well's Criteria on people unless their pre-test suspicion for venous thromboembolism is high.
The more stuff you post like this, the more people get confused. It also shows you have no sense of responsibility because you have not investigated it yourself. People will read this post and they will show up at their doctor's office asking a very very foolish question. This lowers the efficiency of our practices. I'm also not surprised when the other doctor tried to explain it he got very frustrated... sometimes patients want to believe they are going to die no matter what you say...

but you know, if you ever wanted to sound insane to your doctor, this would be a good way to do it.

Everyone, take on this example, every time you walk on carpet you generate static electricity, you pick up a charge, and sometimes you generate an ARC that zaps you. In a lightning storm, when you walk on carpet, you get hit by lightning and will die. Therefore you should not rub your hair or walk on carpet or rub vinyl strips as you can attract lightning to yourself and die. Does that make sense? Sure it does. Will it ever happen? ASTRONOMICAL!!!!!!

People who die of calf massages are so rare they would end up as case-reports on prominent medical journals, try to find them...