Pregnancy Care & Chiropractic

Can Chiropractic Care Help during Pregnancy?

Many pregnant women commonly experience symptoms of back or neck pain at some point during their pregnancy.  Because their body is changing weekly as the pregnancy progresses, they are subject to postural shifts within the spine related to the extra weight gain as well as the changes with their center of gravity as the abdomen and baby grows larger.  The protruding abdomen often causes an increase lumbar curve in their lower back and can lead to pain and muscle imbalance in the pelvis and lumbar areas, but these shifts can also affect the upper back and neck areas as well.

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce and manage these uncomfortable symptoms associated with pregnancy.  Regular chiropractic care helps to restore nerve flow and joint function to assist in maintaining optimal function during pregnancy as well as relieve those pesky joint and musculoskeletal symptoms.

Reducing Labor & Delivery Time

Regular chiropractic care helps pregnant women improve and take care of their nervous system, which is turn assists their body to be better prepared to handle the childbirth process. With a properly tuned nervous system, the whole body is able to work in sync as the series of events occur in each stage of during the birth.  Women who receive regular chiropractic care during pregnancy are also known to experience shorter labor and delivery times.

Studies have found that about half of all expectant mothers develop low-back pain at some point during their pregnancies. This is especially true during the third trimester when the baby’s body gains the most weight. Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can relieve and even prevent the pain and discomfort frequently experienced in pregnancy, and creates an environment for an easier, safer delivery. It is a gentle and safe way to help the spine and pelvis cope with the rapid increase in physical stress by restoring a state of balance.

Webster Technique

During pregnancy, a woman’s center of gravity shifts forward to the front of her pelvis. This additional weight in front, causes stress to the joints of the pelvis and low back. As the baby continues to grow, the added weight causes an increased curvature in the lower back, which places extra stress on the facet joints of the vertebrae.  Any pre-existing misalignments in her spine tend to become exacerbated as the spine and pelvis continue to be stressed.  This in turn leads to increased pain and often difficulty performing normal daily activities.

When there is a pelvic imbalance or misalignment over the course of the pregnancy, it can restrict the amount of room that the developing baby has in which to turn and maneuver.  This is called intrauterine constraint or dystocia.  Tense muscles and ligaments can have an aberrant effect on the uterus and prevent the baby from assuming a proper and comfortable position for birth.  Often times this can lead to a breech or transverse positioning of the baby during the final weeks of her pregnancy.

Dr. Keri is trained and certified in the Webster Technique which she uses to analyze and adjust the spine to improve the neuro-biomechanics in the pelvis.  She is trained to evaluate and determine the postural imbalances and can help restore normal function to pregnant moms.  All pregnant mothers can benefit by having their spines checked regularly during pregnancy for optimal spine mechanics and optimizing overall health benefits to both her and the baby.