How Chiropractic Can Help Expectant Mothers In Their Pre And Post Natal Journey
Many expectant women are seeking Chiropractic care for a healthier pregnancy. Chiropractic care is particularly appealing because it is a natural, safe, drug-free, non-invasive form of healthcare. In fact, most pregnant women have found Chiropractic treatments to be beneficial in limiting the use of pain medications during their pregnancies. We will be discussing the benefits of Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy in this article.
Chiropractic can play an integral part for a healthy pregnancy
Pregnancy is a challenging time for a woman’s body, both internally and externally. A pregnant woman experiences a huge amount of change over nine months, with countless new demands and challenges her body has to meet.
For many pregnant women, aches and pains in the lower back and hips are part of the experience. In fact, studies have shown that approximately 50 percent of all expectant mothers will develop low back pain at some point during their pregnancies. This is especially true during the third trimester when the fetus weighs the most, resulting in the peak of back pain.
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Chiropractic treatment can help to improve and even prevent the pain and discomfort often associated with pregnancies. It is a safe and effective way to help the spine and pelvis cope with the stress from rapid physical changes by restoring a state of balance. Studies have shown that a majority of pregnant women who suffered from low back pain experienced an improvement in pain intensity with Chiropractic care, without reports of adverse effects. Besides low back pain, Chiropractic treatments have also been shown to be effective in relieving neck and other joint pains, as well as controlling symptoms of nausea.
Not only can Chiropractic care help manage pain in your back, hips, and joints, it can also establish proper pelvic balance and spinal alignment for a successful delivery. Balancing of the pelvis and ligaments is essential to allow for the optimal positioning of the fetus. This will decrease the chances of breech positions and also the time needed for labour and childbirth. Indeed, studies have shown that Chiropractic adjustments help to reduce time in labor, thus allowing for a smoother and easier pregnancy.
Read more: How Chiropractors Address And Treat Non-Specific Lower Back Pain
In addition, Chiropractors can help pregnant women manage an exercise routine compatible for her changing body, demonstrate stretches and exercises that may be effective for relieving tension and easing discomfort, and offer nutritional or ergonomic advice to help address special needs.
What is chiropractic?
Chiropractic is an allied health care profession concerned with the conservative management of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system (joints, muscles and nerves). Musculoskeletal conditions can include but are not limited to back pain, neck pain, chronic pain, headaches, sciatica, scoliosis and more.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy is a safe and effective means of treating musculoskeletal symptoms that affect pregnant patients. Chiropractic care can promote maternal and child health without the use of drugs and surgery.
All Chiropractors have undergone extensive education and training to become qualified healthcare providers. Chiropractors are trained to work with pregnant women with gentle, effective techniques to achieve great results. Chiropractic care has typically included the care of pregnant patients to assure the patient a comfortable pregnancy and help facilitate an uncomplicated delivery. In this profession, education is ongoing, with Chiropractors requiring to stay up to date with the latest research, attend seminars and complete professional development courses. Investing in the fertility and pregnancy wellness of women who are pregnant or trying to conceive is routine care for most Chiropractors.
Read more: All You Need To Know About Chiropractic In Singapore
Pre-natal chiropractic care
Pregnancy changes the body in more ways than one expect. In order to meet with the physiological demands of pregnancy, a mother’s body often goes through drastic physical and hormonal changes over the course of nine months. This preparation is to create a suitable prenatal environment for developing and nurturing a healthy fetus. If not carefully monitored and cared for, some of these changes could result in spinal misalignments due to the impact on posture and balance. As these changes in the pregnant woman’s body occur during each trimester of pregnancy it will have a profound effect on the body as a whole, which can affect the natural progression of the mother’s body to accommodate the growing baby.
Structural adaptation in the expectant mother is a contributory source of low back pain throughout pregnancy. Joint dysfunction related to changing load distributions within the spine also factors into this back pain. During pregnancy, a woman’s center of gravity shifts forward to the front of her pelvis. As the fetus grows in size, the additional weight in front often leads to an increased curvature in the low back area. This postural change, in addition to the weight gain, places extra stress on the spinal joints and discs of the lower back and pelvis. This orientation of the pelvis causes an increase in the lumbar lordosis, with a subsequent forward shift of the shoulders, neck, and head as a form of compensation.
Moreover, the resultant weight imbalance can put abnormal pressure on the hip joints too. As the body undergoes these changes, it can lead to spinal and pelvic misalignment. Direct pressure of the fetus on the spinal nerves may also be a cause of back pain and sciatica. Spending nine months with these conditions can cause uncomfortable back pain. Physically strenuous work and any pre-existing problems are factors that may also be associated with an increased risk of developing low back pain and sacroiliac dysfunction during pregnancy, often leading to difficulty performing normal activities of daily living.
In addition, the female body ramps up production of certain hormones such as progesterone and relaxin during pregnancy. These pregnancy hormones increase the laxity of ligaments and joints in the body to make space for the development and growth of the fetus, and help to pave the way for the baby to make an exit when the time comes. However, this increased laxity makes the body more at risk for joint misalignment and injury.
In summary, the following changes can result from pregnancy:
- Protruding abdomen and increased back curve
- Pelvic changes
- Postural adaptations
Hence, we see many expectant mothers with symptoms such as back aches, hip pain, sciatica with shooting pain down the legs, groin discomfort, shortness of breath, migraines and fatigue.
Although these experiences are common, they should not be accepted as normal. Routine Chiropractic during pregnancy can alleviate these aches and pains, and help pregnant women achieve a healthier and more enjoyable pregnancy.
A common reason pregnant women seek Chiropractic care is to address any issues with spinal alignment and pelvic balance so as to ensure optimal function of the body. One collaborative Chiropractic and medical study revealed that 75 percent of pregnant patients reported pain relief. The majority of pregnant women who were treated by Chiropractic care reported that they avoided painkillers throughout their pregnancy. Furthermore, Chiropractic adjustments designed to correct the spinal and pelvic alignment can help to restore the sense of balance too.
The research also includes evidence of improved outcomes in labor and delivery for women who receive prenatal Chiropractic treatment. In addition to the relationship between pregnancy, labor and low back pain, it has also been reported that there may be an association between a longer duration of the labor and delivery process and back pain. Studies also noted that Chiropractic treatment may significantly decrease the incidence of back pain labor. The relative risk of experiencing back pain abor was almost three times greater if back pain was experienced during the pregnancy. An increasing number of healthcare practitioners and obstetricians are starting to realise the benefits of Chiropractic care for their pregnant patients. Thus, the increasing prevalence of inclusion of Chiropractic care during patients’ pregnancies.
Why is it so important for the expectant mother to have a properly functioning pelvis? The uterus is attached to the pelvis by ligaments, which functions as a support system together with the pelvic floor muscles. A misalignment of the pelvis can create uneven tension on these structures, resulting in pain and discomfort for the expectant mothers. When there is a misalignment in the pelvis, it could end up restricting the amount of space available to the developing fetus within the uterus.
Another complication that a pelvic misalignment may pose relates to delivery. When an external force obstructs the developing baby’s normal movements, it can make it difficult for the baby to turn into an optimal birthing position. When the baby is in a fetal malpresentation or malposition, it can lead to a longer and more complicated delivery. If left uncorrected, many of these presentations, such as in a breech, could eventually affect a woman’s ability to have a natural and non-invasive birth. The increase in rates of cesarean delivery should be of concern to those providing care to the pregnant patient, especially because current cesarean delivery rates have exceeded the highest acceptable limit described by the World Health Organization.
The literature demonstrates improved outcomes in labor and delivery for women who received Chiropractic care during their pregnancy. Chiropractic care for the pregnant mother can be beneficial for the unborn baby too. A properly balanced and aligned pelvis allows the baby to have a better chance of moving into an optimal position for birth. Receiving proper Chiropractic attention and treatment can facilitate this, thereby reducing the chance of encountering difficult labor and delivery. The published evidence suggests that regular Chiropractic care has been associated with an improved probability of successful natural birth and thus a reduction of the number of cesarean deliveries. By reducing the potential for complications for both the mother and child, it may help reduce the length of time spent in labor, thus giving a higher chance of a safer, smoother and easier birthing process with minimal medical interventions.
To summarise, the potential benefits of Chiropractic care during pregnancy include:
- Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
- Controlling symptoms of nausea
- Reducing time of labour and delivery
- Relieving back, neck, hip or joint pain
- Facilitating a natural, non-invasive birth
Post-partum chiropractic care
Biomechanical changes and stress to the neuromusculoskeletal system are present during and immediately after pregnancy. Such joint misalignments in those structures can cause aches, pain and discomfort during basic activities of daily living such as walking and sleeping. Regardless of the method of childbirth, research has indicated that patients with moderate to severe pregnancy-related pelvic pain or asymmetrical joint laxity is a strong predictor of persistent complaints after parturition. While pelvic girdle pain is typically more prominent during pregnancy, low back pain is more common in the postpartum period. It is well known that back pain during the postnatal period is a common occurrence for new mothers. Many attribute this to the demands of motherhood, stress of labor, biomechanical and hormonal changes associated with pregnancy. Unfortunately, since low back pain is often described as an inevitable complication, many new mothers are told to wait for it to resolve on its own or live with it.
Similar to how the female body underwent physical and hormonal changes during the prenatal period, the postpartum patient experiences opposing changes as the body attempts to revert to its pre-pregnancy state. Chiropractic evaluation and treatment during this period may be recommended as a safe and effective means of treating common musculoskeletal conditions encountered after childbirth. The implementation of Chiropractic care should be part of a holistic treatment protocol that includes rehabilitative exercises that also targets the weakened spinal and abdominal muscles. Continued Chiropractic care may also be beneficial in assisting proper restoration of normal spinal biomechanics.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy is a natural, drug-free, non-invasive approach that is safe for the pregnant mom and her baby. Our Australian trained and registered Chiropractors are experienced in treating expectant mothers throughout their pregnancy.
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Source:
Borggren C. L. (2007). Pregnancy and chiropractic: a narrative review of the literature. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 6(2), 70–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcme.2007.04.004