Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
During the course of a pregnancy, women are often vulnerable to various spinal and joint issue due to the additional weight gain throughout this period of time.
Find out how can chiropractic care help you or your loved ones ensure a smoother and less stressful pregnancy journey.
what to expect from a prenatal chiropractor
During pregnancy, there are many changes that occur in the body to accommodate the growth of the baby. An area that is heavily affected is the pelvis region. These changes often lead to common aches and discomfort pregnant mothers experience, such as low back pain. A chiropractor has the ability to realign and relax the ligaments and muscles in your pelvis which lessen the pain and promote health throughout the body.
Our chiropractors are licensed and trained to provide chiropractic care related to pregnancies.
Chiropractic care is safe for pregnant women. Adjustments would be done on the adjustment table to accommodate the women’s growing bellies. The chiropractic techniques used will not put pressure on their abdomens and are gentler in pressure relative to a typical adjustment.
Watch the video below to see how chiropractic adjustments for pregnant women are carried out by our chiropractors.
Several benefits that expectant mothers enjoy from chiropractic care include:
- Aid in Spinal Alignment
Pregnancy adds significant additional weight to a woman’s body in a short amount of time. This change bears on the spine, frequently pulling it out of alignment.
When this happens, the pain can be quite severe. Chiropractic care during pregnancy works to keep the spine in alignment and all supporting tendons working optimally, to be better prepared and able to adequately support the extra weight.
- Reduced need for pain relievers
Most times, individuals experiencing moderate pain pop a couple of over the counter pain relievers and think nothing of it. However, pregnant women strive to avoid medications when possible.
Chiropractic adjustments decrease the underlying issues that cause pain, so the patient relies less on medications. Experiencing less pain as well as eliminating the need for pain killers is a win-win situation for expectant mothers.
- Aid in Pelvis Alignment
An aligned pelvis is critical to the birthing process and increases the chances of being able to give birth naturally. According to the American Pregnancy Association,
“When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth”
An experienced chiropractor can effectively align the pelvis before delivery, so the mother is able to deliver with little incident.
prenatal massage vs chiropractic
Prenatal massage (also known as pregnancy massage) is a body massage catered for pregnant women, usually pass their first semester. Whereas chiropractic care focuses on the fixing of spinal misalignments using techniques which apply a controlled force on the spinal joint.
Another difference between both treatments is the tools used. For prenatal massages, hands are used to rub and knead the muscles, while oils are used to assist in applying long and gentle pressure on the body. Lotion/herbal paste would often be applied after the massage as well. For chiropractic care, hands are the primary tool used to administer the techniques.
The effects of both treatments would also differ. For prenatal massage, given that it focusses on the general body, several benefits would include reduced water retention, better blood circulation and relaxed muscles. Whereas, for chiropractic care, which focuses primarily on spinal health, several benefits would include reduced back pains, relived sciatica and increased mobility.
Both treatments aim to reduce pain and stiffness by reducing inflammation and promoting blood circulation in the body.
Watch the video below to learn about chiropractic care for pregnant women.
Can chiropractic help with joint pains during pregnancy?
Chiropractic care can aid in relieving and managing the symptoms of joint pains. Furthermore, it can also improve pelvic balance, allowing as much space for the baby as possible during the course of the pregnancy.
Causes of joint pains during pregnancy are often postural issues caused by additional weight gain during the pregnancy period as the unborn child grows and develops in the uterus. The weight of the developing child extends forward and in front of the woman’s belly. As shown in the diagram below, the increased tension and stress increases the body’s spinal curvatures. The result is often a numbing and tingling sensation down the thighs, hands and feet. Hence it is important to check your body’s spinal condition to understand the root cause of pain so that it can be tackled effectively.
To find out the procedure for a full spinal examination, you can check out our FAQ section here.
Can Chiropractors help with postnatal care?
Yes, chiropractic care can help with problems such as lower back pain, sciatica and neck pain etc. You can find out more about what kind of symptoms we treat in our home page.
Typically the best time for chiropractic adjustments is within 6 weeks of childbirth. This is because during the pregnancy duration, the body will produce relaxant hormones that loosens itself in preparation for childbirth. After giving birth, the remaining hormones will take 6 weeks to wear off. Hence during this period of time, the body is in a more relaxed state allowing more flexibility and ease for adjustments.
Some of the benefits of having chiropractic care postpartum include:
- Improved Functioning of Nervous system
- Support of the body during its transition to postpartum exercise
- Provide mental and physical support to avoid postpartum depression
Can chiropractors help with sciatica pain during pregnancy?
Sciatica is described as a sensation that refers to pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness along the nerve (your hips, buttocks, legs). This is often triggered by the irritation or compression on the sciatica nerve.
Chiropractic care is often the first option when treating sciatica pain during pregnancies. As chiropractors utilise adjustment techniques to fix your spinal alignment resulting in reduced compression on your sciatica nerve, ultimately resulting in little to no pain.
Do take note that this is a progressive journey hence how soon one recovers from sciatica is also dependent on the frequency of chiropractic sessions (typically 1-2 times a week)
Note: The above information is not a substitute for a diagnosis or any form of medical care. Symptoms and treatments differ from person to person, and one should consult a chiropractor for an accurate diagnosis and recommendation.
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