Menu

Chiropractic & Pregnancy

The day has come, you have joyfully found out you’re pregnant!  Just about the moment the shock begins to wear off, the bombardment of a million opinions about the next nine months of your life begins. You should do this, but definitely not that. Eat this, but under no circumstances eat that. Trust me, everyone has an opinion. At Bettendorf Chiropractic Wellness Center here is ours: chiropractic care is an essential component of maternity care.

For most of our patients, chiropractic care is an important tool in combating regular every day stressors. Pregnancy, however, places additional and specific stressors on the body. Several hormonal and physical changes occur in the body to help prepare for the growing baby. 50% of all pregnant women experience back pain during pregnancy.

What happens during pregnancy?

Women experience so many changes during their pregnancy, here is a short list of those changes:

Hormones – Increase in circulating hormones, specifically during the third trimester, causes hypermobility in the pelvis and decreases overall stability in the spine. Relaxin causes muscle and ligament relaxation which allows joints to hyperextend and more easily become misaligned.

Center of Gravity –As your center changes, strains are put on joints that are not used to carrying the center. Postural adaptations equate more stresses and increase chance of subluxations to different joints and ligaments. The position of the baby often causes changes in the proper movement of the pelvis. An unevenly aligned pelvis during pregnancy can be incredibly painful, as well as problematic for the baby trying to get into a proper birthing position. As compensation for the shift in the low back, the neck is translated forward which can lead to muscle spasms and headaches.

Weight Distribution – As the belly is projected forward, increased demand is placed on spinal and pelvic muscles and ligaments.  The lumbar and thoracic spinal curves are also accentuated due to the added weight of the baby in the front, placing extra stress on the discs and joints between the vertebrae. Joint stress increases the occurrence of joint misalignments.

Rapid Weight Gain –Due to the extra weight and stress of the baby on the front causes demand and fatigue on spinal and pelvic muscles and ligaments. The pregnant belly displaces about 25-35 pounds to the abdomen, greatly increasing the stress on the sacroiliac and lumbopevlic joints.

Common Complaints during Pregnancy:

Sciatica is a common complaint in pregnancy. Sciatica is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. Its symptoms include: pain radiating from the lower back, buttocks, down the back of one leg, and sometimes into the foot, which may cause an aching or burning, tingling or zinging sensation. It usually occurs only on one side. It makes sense for it to intensify with pregnancy weight gain and hormonal fluctuations.

Likewise, round ligament pain is another common complaint in pregnancy and is marked by a stretching, aching, or downright painful radiance like a girdle on the underside of your growing belly. Again, chiropractic adjustments throughout pregnancy can reduce the incidence of this occurring, or can keep it from ever occurring.

Finally, a less reported but equally as uncomfortable complaint of pregnancy is symphysis pubis dysfunction. Because of the hormones women release during pregnancy, the added weight and girth of the uterus setting upon the pelvis, and the over compensation of her posture, some women experience an intense pain of the pubic arch (the mons pubis area), popping of the hip joints, groin discomfort, and lower abdominal issues. Unfortunately, many women continue to suffer from this postpartum. The best remedy? Getting your spine and pelvis aligned properly so that it can accommodate the changing dynamics of your body more easily.

Why Chiropractic Care?

The goal of chiropractic care during pregnancy is to counteract these additional stressful forces. Maintaining proper motion and function in the body during pregnancy helps relieve discomfort, as well as allowing the tissues, organs, and cells associated with pregnancy to operate at their best potential by removing interference from the nervous system.

This is where chiropractic comes into play.  Chiropractors use gentle adjustments to the low back and pelvis to realign the spine.  Since the body’s functions are controlled by the nervous system, chiropractic adjustments help to alleviate irritation on the nerves caused by the mothers changing body.  Removing interference on the nerves helps to decrease symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and heartburn.  The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (IPCA) actually recommends that all women receive chiropractic throughout pregnancy.

Chiropractic care not only helps to reduce the mother’s discomfort during this time, it also helps to establish pelvic balance and alignment.  Misalignment of the pelvis can reduce the amount of room available for the growing baby.  It can also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best position for delivery, which is rear-facing and head down.  Breech and posterior positions can make labor and delivery more difficult and even lead to other interventions such as C-sections.

Finally, chiropractic care during pregnancy can actually lead to shorter labor times. Having a misaligned pelvis makes it difficult for the baby to get into the best position for delivery. Statistics have shown that women who seek chiropractic care throughout pregnancy have, on average, 25% shorter labor times during their first pregnancy and 31% shorter in subsequent pregnancies.

Is Chiropractic Care Safe during Pregnancy?

Yes, many women have aches and pains during pregnancy. Chiropractic is extremely safe,  effective  care for mom and baby.  At Bettendorf Chiropractic Wellness Center, we use tables designed for a pregnant woman’s body and we use techniques that avoid unneeded pressure on the abdomen.  Whether you are 2 weeks into your pregnancy or 36 weeks, it is never too late to seek chiropractic treatment and care for you. Bottom line, regular chiropractic care before any of these issues start to flare up make for a more comfortable pregnancy! A huge potential benefit of chiropractic care and pregnancy is that it can help reduce the time of labor and delivery.

What about Chiropractic Care after Birth?

Don’t stop going to the chiropractor just because you have given birth! Your body is constantly in a state of motion, shift, and change. Also, immediately following birth, as your body attempts to move back into its pre-pregnancy state, chiropractic care can prevent muscle tension, headaches, rib discomfort, and shoulder problems. This means that your body can continue to benefit from adjustments.

So what if you missed chiropractic adjustments with your pregnancy?

 Likewise, just because you didn’t get care during your pregnancy, it doesn’t mean you can’t start now! If you didn’t get care, or had a large baby, chiropractic care can help get you back on the road to healthier living. Oftentimes, pregnancy and birth can cause long-term neuromusculoskeletal problems if not corrected.  It’s not too late. Chiropractors can also help during postnatal care.  Many times, the mid-back will be the most symptomatic from introducing new positions due to breast feeding, rocking the baby and even just holding the new baby.  Even carrying the car seat can lead to low back pain after some time.

Pregnancy, labor, and birth are wonderful and beautiful times in a woman’s life. Call our office today to schedule your appointment now!

For more information, check out the American Pregnancy Association at: http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/chiropracticcare.html