Pregnancy

Pregnancy is normal and natural. It is not an Illness; it is life functioning to perfection. However there are some hurdles a pregnant women may face that chiropractic may help with.

Low Back Pain and Sciatica

When a pregnant your body releases hormones to soften your ligaments. Sometimes this can aggravate an underlying condition or create a new low back pain problem.

This pain can affect how comfortable you:

• Walk
• Sleep
• Sit

This can also include sciatica where pain:

• Travels down to your foot
• Increases with walking
• Can develop in the buttock or leg

Often unique to pregnancy can be:

• Groin pain
• Difficulty getting in and out of the car
• Going up and down stairs
• A feeling of pressure in the pelvis described by many as “I feel like I need to hold onto my baby and lift it up

Headaches

Headaches include aching, dull, or throbbing pain, usually concentrated in the forehead, temples, or base of the skull. Some of these symptoms may overlap. Often mothers will report headaches over the whole head.

Dr. Irvin Henderson MD – Women who received chiropractic adjustments in their third trimester were able to carry and deliver their child with much more comfort.

The cause of the conditions above can come from abnormal joint movement in your spine. Chiropractors call this a subluxation.

Subluxations of the pelvis readily occur during pregnancy. Most frequently they occur in three separate places, in either of the two sacroiliac joints at the back or with the symphysis pubis joint, found at the front of the pelvis.

Some of the reasons subluxations occur in pregnancy are as follows:

• Weight gain – during pregnancy, weight gain is a normal physiological process.
• Hormonal changes and alterations of the supporting structures for joints.
• The variation in pelvic shape and how they respond to stressors exerted during pregnancy.
• Previous physical traumas or accidents that have been left uncorrected and have altered the biomechanics of the pelvis.
• Number of pregnancies and the status of the pelvic musculature.
• Lifestyle factors and level of exercise.
  (Dr. Jennifer Barham Floreani, Well Adjusted Babies. Vitality Productions Pty Ltd, 2005)

Severe or mild, all of these conditions can severely impact a mothers well-being during pregnancy.

In our experience we have seen mothers to be become very sleep deprived from these issues. Pregnancy, in particular the last trimester is a time when rest is essential for mother and her growing baby.

Benefits of Treatment

In a hospital study that incorporated chiropractic adjustments during the pregnancy, there was a 50% decrease in the need for painkillers during delivery.

Our goals are to help you have a comfortable pregnancy. Chiropractic is a drug free approach and therefore safe for you and your baby. An adjustment can often ease headaches and low back pain and restore normal brain and central nervous system function.

This is achieved by doing a gentle and through assessment to specifically locate the exact vertebra that is causing the problem. Often a sacroiliac or pelvic joint needs to be corrected.

We have a table that is specifically designed for pregnancy, so as your baby grows there is space for him or her too. So when you receive treatment there is no pressure on your baby.

In a hospital study that incorporated chiropractic adjustments during the pregnancy, there was a 50% decrease in the need for painkillers during delivery.

A study by Dr. Joan Fallons shows chiropractic care to significantly reduce labour time for women who had care throughout their pregnancy. With chiropractic adjustments, first time mums averaged a 24% shorter labour time, while mothers (experienced with birth) a 39% reduction in the average labour time when compared to other birthing women.*
* Fallon J DC Proceedings of the World Chiropractic Congress: 1991; 24-31

“Correct biomechanics of the spine and pelvis during birth allows your baby to apply even pressure with their head into your cervix, enabling your body to dilate effectively.” (Dr. Jennifer Barham Floreani, Well Adjusted Babies. Vitality Productions Pty Ltd, 2005)

A chiropractic examination at Living Chiropractic will:

• Specifically locate the exact vertebra that is causing nerve pressure.
• Identify if and how the sacroiliac joint needs to be corrected to reduce the pressure on the local nerves.
• Your chiropractor can then adjust the specific spinal segment or sacroiliac (pelvic) joint to restore normal brain and central nervous system function. This will lead to better control of the spine and body.

Other tips for your spine during pregnancy are:

• Avoid remaining in one position for too long.
• Gently stretch your body daily.
• Avoid twisting your spine on top of your pelvis, instead trying to move your whole body with your feet. For example, when getting out of a car; turn your whole body towards the open door as you place your feet on the floor.
• Maintain strong pelvic floor muscles.