Tea Time with Jo | Abdominal Massage

I have had the privilege of working with and alongside massage therapists for the vast majority of my career as an Acupuncturist. This has afforded me the opportunity to experience many different kinds of bodywork techniques. I noticed, when I relocated to NC, that the abdominal region was completely being bypassed when I had a massage. The massage therapist wouldn’t even ask if that was an area that I wanted worked on, even though, this seemed to be standard practice when I was back in FL. It was just part of the service when receiving a “full body” massage service; and I had the option to decline work on my abdomen in lieu of more time spent working on another area of my body. 

Since being in NC, I have discovered that abdominal massage definitely exists, however, it is far more specialized. Over the past several years, I have been able to experience various styles which I will discuss in further detail below. 

The benefits of having your abdomen worked on are countless! For starters, your abdomen houses a lot of your organs. The circulation to these organs are subject to your alignment and other factors. If we are holding tension in any area of our bodies, it stands to reason that the affected area is just not receiving the same amount of blood flow (or qi flow, for that matter) that it would receive if the area was relaxed/aligned. With that logic, it would be reasonable to conclude that our organs may not be functioning at optimal levels if they are not receiving the blood and qi that they need to do so. 

From a reproductive standpoint, so much of what I do with Acupuncture is trying to promote better circulation into the reproductive organs. The more open the channels of circulation are, the more nutrients the ovaries/testicles and uterus receive, thus helping to promote ovulation of better quality eggs, better quality sperm and the growth of healthy uterine lining. 

From a digestive standpoint, better flow means better ability to breakdown foods and absorb nutrients. It also means more open detox pathways in the liver, intestines and urinary bladder. Bye bye sluggish bowel movements! 

With that said, let’s dive in to the 4 different kinds of abdominal massage I have received, how it felt to receive them and what benefits they had for me, in particular. My hope is that this information can help you decide if you should seek out any of these methods as well. Let’s begin!

Meso-American Abdominal Massage (aka Mexican-Central American Sobada):

This type of massage is steeped in history. Often performed by therapists who have learned the techniques via cultural lineage, Sobada has been performed for hundreds if not thousands of years. One can argue that it is the grandmother of therapies like Arvigo and Mercier therapy as those therapies were built upon the techniques of the Sobada (more on those later in this post). It can be performed for all kinds of womb care such as for menstrual support or helping to support a pregnant woman’s growing belly. In the postpartum phase, the Sobada is helpful for uterine recovery and the prevention and treatment of prolapse. It can also be performed for internal organ care, helping to realign the organs in their proper place for optimal functioning (naprapathy). 

If a person has undergone a hysterectomy, and no longer has a uterus, the Sobada is still useful to care for the “womb space” which doesn’t cease to exist after the reproductive organs are removed. If anything, this technique is helpful to keep the other organs in proper placement after some, or all, of the reproductive organs have been removed. 

Two facts that set the Sobada apart from other techniques mentioned in this post are that it is the only technique that requires the practitioner to practice on themselves well before working on others; and it is the only technique that works with the emotional and spiritual connection of the organs and the divine. For example, someone may seek a practitioner for help with removing creative blockages (such as writer’s block) or for closure after a pregnancy loss. 

While I have not had enough experience with this technique yet to list any specific benefits aside from feeling less tension in my abdomen (literally being able to breath deeper) and more “looseness” in my pelvis (Heyyyyyyy!). I do feel like it helped me move out a functional ovarian cyst with less discomfort than the previous cysts I have passed. I did share an IG post of how my abdomen looked before and after just one session. The difference is pretty remarkable, you can check it out here.

The sensation of this type of massage, for me, was less intense than Mercier but stronger than Lymphatic Abdominal Massage. It was somewhat like the sensation of Arvigo. So it was uncomfortable but not unbearable. That being said, my second session was much more comfortable than the first and it is fair to say that-that is not uncommon of any therapy. 

Arvigo Maya Abdominal Massage:

This technique was designed by Dr. Rosita Arvigo. It is said that she developed this method based on ancient massage techniques she learned via self study and under the apprenticeship of a Maya healer. This technique is also based in naprapathy, a type of traditional medicine that believes illness originates by the displacement of connective tissues. As such, Arvigo works to help organs come back to, or stay in, their intended location (think prolapse, misalignment, etc). 

When I was receiving Arvigo treatments, I was encouraged to practice self massage on my abdomen in between visits. Out of all of the other abdominal massages I will discuss in this post, Arvigo is the only one that sent me home with homework involving self massage. This was a great way to help me understand the patterns of tension in my abdomen and to help myself in between treatments. 

The treatments themselves were fairly relaxing with the exception of a “fascial twist” done at the end that helps to “wring out” stuck circulation. This part was very uncomfortable but it was brief. I’m not 100% sure that this is standard practice for Arvigo therapy or just something my provider did, so you may want to ask first. 

Benefits I experienced included less bloating, some relief of menstrual cramps, more symmetry in my abdomen and better positioning of my uterus. 

Lymphatic Abdominal Massage (aka “Weight Loss Massage”):

Lymphatic Massage is said to originate from the teachings of Emil Vodder and dates back to somewhere between the 1930s-1950s. While Lymphatic Drainage Massage can be performed on the entire body, I will focus on the abdomen for this post. 

Our bodies have several major lymphatic passageways in the abdomen that work to clear drainage from the organs, muscles and bones. It’s kind of hard to contextualize how expansive of a network that is. Think about it, your entire abdomen IS a bunch of organs, muscles and bone. A lot of individuals that have had this type of massage will instantly see a reduction of inflammation/bloating around the abdomen. Usually, there will be a good deal of urination afterwards, as the body clears all of the excess fluid moved out by the massage. Because of this, it often gets referred to as a “weight loss” massage. The person isn’t actually losing weight as much as they are reducing water weight and inflammation. This type of massage is quite popular amongst celebrities (both men and women) right before a red carpet event. 

It is also a popular technique for healing after abdominal surgery of any kind (cosmetic or functional). It can also be performed to help reduce swelling in the abdomen and to open detox pathways. 

Usually, I would receive this kind of massage as a part of a full body massage service. Working on lymphatic movement generally involves lighter pressure as compared to working on the muscles. Out of all of the massages in this post, this was the most comfortable and relaxing.

Benefits I experienced were as advertised: less bloating, flatter abdomen, and reduction in water weight. 

Mercier Therapy:

This technique is the youngest of the abdominal massages in this post. It was developed by Dr. Jennifer Mercier in 2005 combining her years of experience as a Midwife, Massage therapist and Naturopathic Doctor. Dr. Mercier has performed 2 studies on the effects of Mercier therapy, each spanning several years. According to the study that concluded in 2012, Mercier therapy has a pregnancy success rate of 83%. That’s pretty amazing! 

In contrast to the other types of abdominal massages mentioned in this post, Mercier is the most regimented, in my opinion. One round of treatment consists of 6 hours of therapy that are broken down into hourly sessions that can be completed over a weekend or between 1-6 weeks. Mercier therapy is a deep visceral massage. This means the therapist applies enough pressure to actually affect the organs. While Arvigo and Sobada both do this, Mercier was far more painful for me than any of the other therapies. As a matter of fact, it has been the most painful therapy I have ever experienced. That being said, it provided the most profound changes in my menstruation, in the shortest period of time. 

The intensity of this therapy makes it well suited for breaking up any kinds of accumulation in the reproductive organs (endometriosis, scar tissue, cysts, etc), in my opinion.

Benefits I experienced include shedding of old uterine lining, reduction in menstrual cramps, and aid in resolution of an ovarian cyst. 

It’s important to remember that everyone’s pain tolerance is different. While I consider mine to be moderate, I may have had more things to work through in my abdomen than the next person, this will affect how hard the massage therapist has to work to get the desired effects. 

Other Noteworthy Observations:

Besides the scope of menstrual care and digestive health, I’d really like to focus on the benefits of abdominal massage for postpartum care. Our medical system does a really poor job of assessing the abdomen after birth. Most postpartum appointments in the west, consist of a 6 week visit in which no one assess your abdominal wall, even after a C-section that cuts through 7 different layers. 

In contrast, just about every ancient culture on the planet has some kind of abdominal care practices after birth to help the uterus go back to its original size and shape, but most importantly, to go back to its proper position within the abdomen. Besides the uterus, there is also care to make sure the surrounding organs resettle in their proper place after being displaced by the growing womb or by the trauma of abdominal surgery. 

On that same note, with the exception of lymphatic massage after cosmetic abdominal surgery, most physicians don’t provide patients with a post surgical plan for abdominal recovery after any kind of abdominal procedure (laparoscopy, bariatric surgery, bowel resection, hernia surgery, etc). Most of the abdominal therapies discussed in this post would be a fantastic addition to post surgical recovery to aid in the reduction of swelling, reduction in the development of scar tissue and faster healing. 

Furthermore, if it has been many years since you had an abdominal procedure, you can still benefit from these therapies to treat any resulting scar tissue or organ displacement that occurred as a result; even if it has been decades. 

This post is by no means an exhaustive list of all different kinds of abdominal massage therapies. It doesn’t even cover all of the benefits that each technique may offer. I do hope, however, that it helped you gain some understanding of some of the therapies that exist and may be available to you. With the exception of Mercier Therapy, which aims to treat certain conditions, the Sobada, Arvigo and Lymphatic Massages can all be used for the maintenance of health and the prevention of certain conditions. All of these techniques bring a lot to the table and are worthy of your research and consideration.  I tagged local practitioners in the IG post, if you are interested, check out the caption.