Chiropractic and Pregnancy –
Deciding to have a baby is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your lifetime and with it can come a fear of the unknown. A pregnancy supported with regular chiropractic care does not have to be scary or difficult. Chiropractic care is safe and effective at treating many of the “fearful” reasons why you might question if your body is ready for pregnancy.
Most women focus on eating right, staying active, and letting go of unhealthy habits prior to becoming pregnant. However, many overlook the tremendous strain that pregnancy is on the body in particular the spine and pelvis. Most will suffer with the common pains and difficulties of pregnancy because “that’s just part of being pregnant.” The reality is that this does not have to be common, or part of the process! Regular chiropractic care during any stage of pregnancy can be safe and effective at giving you relief and an enjoyable pregnancy through any trimester.
All chiropractors are trained to treat pregnant women and the benefits can be exponential in giving the mother a happy healthy experience before and after the delivery. Some of the benefits of chiropractic care during your pregnancy may include:
• Reduced pregnancy nausea and reflux symptoms
• Alleviating sciatic nerve, low back, and hip pain
• Aligning the pelvis for an easier delivery
• Reducing your labor and delivery time
• Reducing a need for cesarian due to musculoskeletal issues
A woman’s body endures a lot of challenges during and after her pregnancy. Regular chiropractic care can ensure that you do not have to go through these challenges so that you can have the best pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum experience possible.
Interested in learning more from one of our doctors? Schedule an appointment online today: https://www.eriksenchiropractic.com/scheduling/
For further reading, consider checking out some of the relevant research which has shown significant benefits:
Shaw [10] reports the results of a chiropractic and medical collaborative study indicating that 75% of pregnant patients who received chiropractic care during their pregnancies stated that they found relief from pain. In addition, a retrospective chart review of 400 pregnancies and deliveries investigated the relationship between pregnancy and low back pain. [2] The results of this survey support the hypothesis that back pain, pregnancy, and labor are associated, and emphasize the need for further studies. Findings indicated relief from back pain during the pregnancy in 84% of the cases. The authors also noted that chiropractic manipulation may significantly decrease the incidence of “back labor.” The relative risk of experiencing back labor was almost 3 times greater if back pain was experienced during the pregnancy. [2]
It has also been reported that there may be a relationship between back pain throughout pregnancy and a longer duration of the labor and delivery process. [8, 11] A retrospective review of statistics reported that primigravida women who seek chiropractic care throughout gestation have, on average, a 25% shorter labor time whereas multiparous women who seek chiropractic care throughout their pregnancy have, on average, 31% shorter labor times. [8, 11]
Literature within the osteopathic profession also includes evidence of improved outcomes in labor and delivery for women who receive prenatal osteopathic manipulative treatment. [12] Although the literature in the chiropractic profession dates back several decades, evidence of osteopathic manipulative treatment being used in pregnancy and labor is documented in the osteopathic profession back to the early 1900s. [13–18] A more recent retrospective case-control study using outcomes of meconium-stained amniotic fluid, preterm delivery, use of forceps, and cesarean delivery found a strong relationship between women receiving prenatal osteopathic manipulative treatment and a reduction of the occurrence of these outcomes of pregnancy, labor, and delivery, especially for meconium-stained amniotic fluid and preterm delivery. [12] An increasing number of practitioners and obstetricians are realizing the benefits of manual therapy for their pregnant patients, [10] and inclusion of chiropractic or osteopathic care during patient’s pregnancies and labors is becoming more widely accepted. https://chiro.org/pediatrics/ABSTRACTS/Pregnancy_and_Chiropractic.shtml
Studies have also shown that chiropractic care produces a significantly greater reduction in back pain during pregnancy than a pharmacological (prescriptions / drugs) approach: https://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/digital/index.php?i=1278&a_id=58906&pn=21&r=t&Page=21
Interested in learning more from one of our doctors? Schedule an appointment online today: https://www.eriksenchiropractic.com/scheduling/