• The Medical Massage Group

  328 E. 75th St., Ste. 3, 212-472-4772

  New moms and moms-to-be know that a massage has a dreamy appeal: the chance to make your body feel good again. To accommodate gravid tummies, Medical Massage has special tables built with a stretchy sling that supports the belly. The group’s therapists are trained to erase particular discomforts like lower-back pain, sciatica, and neck and shoulder tightness with their hybrid of Swedish and deep-tissue techniques. Just as important, they also know what not to do: potentially irritating oils and fragrant creams are verboten. Certain labor-inducing acupressure points are also strictly avoided, and when a client turns over, a wedge-shaped cushion is inserted under her shoulders to make sure she’s not lying flat on her back—another late-pregnancy no-no. All that, and these people just plain know how to rub a person right.

From the 2006 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine