Almost 1/2 of all pregnant women experience back pain during their pregnancy. However, less than 1/4 will ever seek back pain consultation with their physicians. Some are unaware of a treatment, while some remain hesitant to consume any drug while developing the baby in their womb. This is where maternity chiropractors come into play. They offer a drug-free approach to maintaining health and providing relief from back pain by adjusting misaligned joints and reducing spinal nerve stress.
Pregnancy chiropractic care is absolutely safe and sometimes even necessary to provide back adjustments during pregnancy. All licensed chiropractors receive training related to pregnancy wellness. This practice is proven to promote neurological and mechanical integrity of your entire body, which is essential to safely manage the rapid transformations occurring during pregnancy.
Who are Maternity Chiropractors?
Maternity Chiropractors are specialized practitioners with a passion for maternal health. During pregnancy, a mother’s body produces a lot of relaxin hormones. This hormone relaxes and loosens ligaments and joints to help make way for your baby’s journey through the birth canal. However, with a bigger belly and loosened limbs, a lot of strain is added to their back and spine, causing insurmountable back pain. This is where an experienced and certified chiro for pregnant women comes in and provides relief.
Beyond simple relief from back pain, some chiropractors are Webster certified who focus specifically on establishing pelvic balance. This technique promotes optimal pelvic alignment, which is necessary to align the baby to get into the best position for delivery.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy provides more than pain relief. It supports the overall wellness of the pregnant woman. Regular sessions not only provide back adjustments during pregnancy, but also help the woman’s body to function more effectively during its most demanding phase.
Key benefits include:
- Symptom Control: Relief from back, neck, and joint pain, as well as the management of nausea.
- Labor Efficiency: A study at Logan University proved that a maternity chiro can provide a reduction in labor and delivery times in women who undertake chiropractic care during pregnancy
- Intervention Prevention: A decreased likelihood of requiring a cesarean section due to improved fetal positioning.
Common Conditions Treated by Maternity Chiropractors
Many maternity chiro help expectant mothers to feel better at times when their bodies are going through maximum changes. The most common thing these maternity chiropractors help with is back pain, especially in the lower back.
As the baby grows, a mother’s belly sticks out further, making her back curve more than usual. This shift affects their spine, leading to neck pain and joint pain in the hips or legs. By gently fixing how the spine and joints line up, chiropractors help mothers move around more easily and stay comfortable.
Apart from that, maternity chiropractors relieve pelvic girdle pain. This happens because the bones in the pelvis get out of place, hurting the pregnant woman while walking or sitting. Chiropractors work to fix this balance, which is very important because a tight or tilted pelvis can cause something called intrauterine constraint. This means the baby doesn’t have enough room to move around or get into the best position for birth.
Chiropractors even help babies who are facing feet-first get into position. They use a special move called the Webster Technique to relax the mother’s ligaments so the baby has space to turn head-down. All of these treatments together help make labor and delivery faster and much safer for both the mom and the baby.
Back Adjustments During Pregnancy: Are They Safe?
While a million chiropractic adjustments are given every day all over the world, complications are rare. Even for expectant mothers, chiropractic care is considered to be safe. However, there are a few cases when visiting a chiropractor should be avoided.
These cases are:
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Placenta previa or Placenta abruption
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Moderate to severe toxemia.
An expectant mother with these specific conditions requires immediate restraint from chiropractic care because,
Vaginal Bleeding: Bleeding at any stage of pregnancy is a warning sign. It can indicate miscarriage, infection, or severe placental issues. This must be immediately consulted, and manual adjustments must be stopped until the source of the bleeding is identified and resolved.
Placenta Previa or Placenta Abruption: The placenta is the life support for the baby; thus, any problem involving the placenta is very serious. Any physical alterations, rapid movements, or mechanical pressure applied to the pelvic area will only worsen the situation causing even a lack of oxygen to the fetus.
Ectopic Pregnancy: It is where an implantation of a fertilized egg takes place anywhere other than the primary cavity of the uterus, mainly inside the fallopian tubes. This condition is quite serious, requiring immediate medical intervention.
Moderate to Severe Toxemia: It is a pregnancy complication where there is high blood pressure in the body, accompanied by damage to the organs of the body.
Apart from these conditions, opting for back adjustments during pregnancy with the help of maternity chiropractors has been known to produce no adverse effects. In fact, chiropractic care during pregnancy can be of great assistance in helping moms reduce or eliminate the following symptoms:
- Back Pain
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Heartburn
- Round Ligament Pain
- Sciatica
- Tight Muscles
Chiropractic Techniques Used for Pregnant Women
While maternity chiropractors are experts at using the gold standard in prenatal chiropractic care, the Webster technique. Our experts at Passion Chiropractic Port Orange use other techniques like the Activator Method, Drop-table technique, Pelvic Blocking, and Soft Tissue Therapies.
These techniques are paired with pregnancy pillows or adjustable drop-out tables that feature a hollowed-out section for the abdomen. This allows expecting mothers to safely and comfortably lie face down without putting any mechanical pressure on the baby.
Choosing the Right Chiropractor for Pregnant Women
While there are no known contradictions to chiropractic care during pregnancy, techniques employed by a chiro for pregnant women are largely different from standard care. Specialists use specialized adjusting tables that feature “drop” sections or cut-outs to accommodate the protruding abdomen, allowing the mother to lie face down without applying pressure to the fetus.
Moreover, maternity chiropractors at Passion Chiropractic use customized stretches and exercises that are clinically safe for use during pregnancy. These are designed to address the needs of pregnant bodies, maintaining the flexibility of the pelvic girdle and reducing the strain on the lower back.
FAQs
- Is maternity chiro care safe during all stages of pregnancy?
Yes. There are no known contraindications for the practice during the entire course of pregnancy. Chiropractic treatment is recognized as part of a normal routine for pregnant women or women attempting to conceive.
- Can a chiro for pregnant women help with lower back pain?
Indeed. Research suggests that 75 percent of the patients suffering from pain due to pregnancy benefit from chiropractic treatment. Clinical expert opinion states that chiropractic adjustment helps alleviate pain associated with pregnancy.
- Are back adjustments during pregnancy painful?
The adjustments applied are meant to be very gentle. Experts apply techniques that prevent unnecessary abdominal pressure and employ special tables adapted to suit the pregnant woman’s body.
- How can a chiropractor for pregnancy back pain help during the third trimester?
During the third trimester, a pregnant woman’s center of gravity changes. This can lead to back and neck pain. Chiropractors apply special techniques to help balance the pelvis. This reduces back pain and provides room for the baby to position correctly.
- How often should pregnant women visit maternity chiropractors?
It depends on how the balance must be maintained. The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association suggests that a pregnant woman get adjusted throughout all three trimesters to make sure the environment is optimal for fetal development.
- Can maternity chiropractors help prepare the body for labor?
Yes. Due to the balancing of the pelvis and achieving optimal alignment, chiropractic therapy reduces labor time and makes the delivery process easier by avoiding any possible need for C-sections.