Help! My Back Hurts and I’m Pregnant. Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Me?
There is this stigma that chiropractic care and pregnancy do not go hand in hand. Most mothers hear about the thought of receiving an adjustment and immediately reject the idea. Many believe that by receiving a chiropractic adjustment you are hurting or endangering the mother and baby, when in reality that is not the case. Chiropractic care and pregnancy actually compliment each other very well. Chiropractors are trained to handle many different circumstances, as everyone is different, and pregnancy is one of those circumstances. The art of an adjustment can benefit not only the mother but also the baby. There are many benefits that can be experienced when receiving care under the supervision of a chiropractor, a few of those benefits being:
Back pain relief
As you can visibly see in pregnancy, the mothers back is impacted severely. Due to the abdomen constantly growing for 9 months, the mothers back begins to bend backwards in order to compensate for the weight created in the front. This constant position can impact the mothers posture, resulting, in most cases, severe back pain. By receiving chiropractic care, you can relieve the pain that the mother can be experiencing and make the pregnancy, overall, a more comfortable one.
Easier labor and delivery
Labor can be a long intense process for both mothers and fathers, luckily there are ways to shorten that process and make it significantly more comfortable. Chiropractic care is one of those methods. One of the main results of a chiropractic adjustment is to place the spine back and treat the misalignments. Misalignments can drastically affect a persons day to day life, pregnant or not. That being said, it is important to have your spine, hips, and pelvis all in line, this will make the delivery process more smooth and comfortable. Women who wish to experience a natural birth will benefit immensely from an aligned axial skeleton.
Can help maintain the babies position
During some pregnancy cases, the baby can be “breeched”. When doctors say that the baby is breeched, they are saying that the baby is flipped; making the babies head above the feet rather than below. This situation can make it difficult to deliver the baby naturally. Most breech cases result in a C section delivery. Chiropractors can tailor an adjustment to either help maintain the babies position or in some cases aid in flipping the baby to the proper position.
Reduced nausea
Women can experience a variety of pregnancy symptoms, however one of the most common symptoms would have to be nausea. Nausea can sometimes even be the first symptom a new mother can experience. Whether it is just morning sickness or constant nausea, chiropractic care may help alleviate the urge. This occurs due to the chiropractic adjustment impacting the nervous system. When the nervous system is stimulated in such a way, the body can balance hormones in a more affective way, ultimately reducing or in some cases eliminating the symptom of nausea.
Stability of the pelvis
When a mother is experiencing pregnancy, her hormones are fluctuating. At some point, closer to the due date, her body will begin to produce a hormone called relaxin, which will prepare the mothers body for birth. Relaxin helps loosen the mothers ligaments preparing her body for birth. While the production of this hormone does affect the mother positively, it is also something that you have to remain mindful of because this hormone results in instability. This instability can cause pain when walking or completely other activities. Chiropractic care can help maintain some stability and eliminate any pain that is caused.
Improve immunity
Chiropractic care can do a lot for an expecting mother. By visiting your chiropractor during your pregnancy, you will just create an overall healthier pregnancy. By receiving an adjustment your immune system will benefit immensely and having a healthy immune system during pregnancy is a very important factor. The stronger the immune system, the healthier the pregnancy will be.
Reduce and prevent sciatica
Sciatica is a condition that develops due to a force pressing on the sciatic nerve. When a women is pregnant, her uterus can reach a rather large size ultimately pushing on the sciatic nerve. When you experience sciatica, you can have a numb and tingling feeling from the leg down to the foot. So it is extremely important for women to identify this feeling and take action accordingly. Chiropractic care can help relieve this numb and tingling feeling, as well as the pain that is caused by the nerve pressure.
These are just a select few ways that a women can benefit from chiropractic care during her pregnancy. There are many other benefits that women can experience, everyone is different. Do not be afraid to receive a chiropractic adjust if you are pregnant, simply inform your chiropractor of your pregnancy and then will take actions accordingly. Make an appointment with your chiropractor today and witness the benefits first hand.
