Pregnancy and Chiropractic Care

Understanding the Changes During Pregnancy:

During pregnancy, most women experience a number of neuromuscular and biochemical problems which respond favorably to gentle, safe, noninvasive chiropractic care. These include:

• Release of the hormone Relaxin causes muscle and ligament relaxation
  • allows joints to more easily misalign
• Increased weight gain
  • increased demand and fatigue on spinal and pelvic muscles
  • increased stress on spinal and pelvic ligaments
  • increase in lumbar and thoracic spinal curves which further increase the above
  • increased joint stress and thus occurrence of vertebral and sacroiliac joint misalignments
• Change in weight distribution
  • increased demand and fatigue on spinal and pelvic muscles
  • increased stress on spinal and pelvic ligaments
  • increase in lumbar and thoracic spinal curves which further increase the above
  • increased joint stress and thus occurrence of vertebral and sacroiliac joint misalignments

The above changes primarily affect the pelvic and spinal ligaments, muscles, joints and other supportive soft tissues. These changes cause sprain/strains of pelvic and spinal structures, as well as alteration of the normal spinal curvatures and spinal biomechanics. The result is an increased stress on the body leading to pain and discomfort.

How Chiropractic Care may Help Relieve Your Pain:

Doctors of chiropractic can alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms arising from the muscular, ligamentous, and biomechanical stresses encountered during pregnancy. We accomplish this through the use of a number of highly specialized procedures and techniques:

• Gentle Spinal Adjustive Procedures - specifically designed for use in the pregnant female
  • assist in maintaining a spine free from vertebral misalignments and fixations - optimizing spinal biomechanics
  • keep pelvis and spine in correct position/posture
  • assist in pain relief by (1) reflexively reducing pain levels, and (2) reducing spinal and pelvic stresses which produce soft tissue pain
  • keep tissues and biomechanics functioning optimally to minimize complications during birth
• Therapeutic Exercises and Stretches - safe for use during pregnancy
  • keep spinal musculature strong, balanced, and pain-free
  • enable spinal muscles to maintain the spine and body in a neutral, correct posture
  • keep mom active and mobile
• Soft Tissue and Massage Work - massage, trigger point work, soft tissue mobilization, etc.
  • keep muscles relaxed and flexible
  • reduces bouts of muscle aches and pains
  • reduces spinal stress
• Dietary and Nutritional Counseling - unique to the pregnant mother
  • prevent neural tube and other birth defects
  • increase the chances for a healthy baby
  • assist the mother in maintaining optimal energy levels
  • keep mother happy and healthy during stressful periods
• General Pregnancy Information - general info on pregnancy
  • answer mother's questions
  • improve mother's health
  • optimize birthing process
  • enhance baby's health

  HEALTH ARTICLES:  Back Pain During Pregnancy