Being pregnant is often said to be a wonderful time in a woman’s life – the glow, the being taken care of, the pride of nurturing a little human life in one’s belly… and then there’s the other side that many gloss over – the off-kilter appetites for unusual food, the sore feet, and the bodily aches and pains!
50% of pregnant women complain about back pain during their child-bearing days. They are carrying a huge weight that constantly gets heavier after all.
Getting a fix for that constant pain is not as easy as popping a few painkillers anymore; few expecting mothers would want to risk potential drug interactions with their growing child. This leads to new lines of inquiry, such as whether chiropractic during pregnancy is feasible.
This blog will go through some of the basics while explaining that yes, chiropractic for pregnancies may be something worth looking into!
What Is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is the science and art of maintaining the alignment and health of our skeletal systems, with a specialization in treating spinal issues. The treatments can have long-term effectiveness through the use of follow up therapies and exercises that keep the problem from resurfacing.
The techniques used by chiropractors do not require medication of any kind, which is a significant benefit to expecting mothers. Massage, realignments, rehabilitation, and exercise are often key components to living a pain-free pregnancy.
What A Chiropractor Can Do For Pregnancies
Pregnancies come with a complex series of bodily changes, but aside from the obvious physical changes a woman’s body produces a large amount of ligament- and joint-loosening hormone called relaxin.
Relaxin restructures the body to make it conducive to pushing a baby through a small space. The increased weight and size of the baby is a primary factor in injuries sustained to the mother who is unused to developing rapid body changes.
The best chiropractors come with long-time experience, which means they have developed superior treatments that deal with many common and uncommon pains, aches, and stressors that the pregnant experience in their time. These maladies can even be different depending on the trimester a lady is experiencing at the time.
The major pain points that chiropractic can help with during pregnancies are:
- Pain in the skeletal system, including joints, spine, and any other part of the skeleton that seems to be out of whack
- Soreness and stiffness in the muscular areas – sometimes we need to relearn how to walk, sit, and posture to be able to be pain free
- Wobbly-ness and falling risks due to unbalanced weight distribution aka “our bellies are so much bigger now!”
Did you know? Almost 75% of pregnant patients who saw a chiropractor reported significant pain relief!
So yes, in general you CAN see a chiropractor while pregnant! There is a huge amount of knowledge, techniques, tips, and even straight up adjustments that can be done to help a stressed-out mom to get back to equilibrium (as much as is possible!) during her pregnancy.
Basically, the main benefit of chiropractic adjustments and treatments is in fixing problems that arise from significant shifts in a woman’s center of gravity due to increased forward weight.
As we always say, it is beneficial to have second (or even third) opinions on ways to reduce pain. Licensed and experienced practitioners will never force treatments that have any chance of harming the baby or the mother regardless.
Top Benefits Of Chiropractic For Pregnancies
If you are worried about pelvic misalignments negatively affecting a smooth, easy birthing process, then seeking a chiropractic assessment may be beneficial to you!
As an expectant mother, one would want only the best growing and birthing environment for their child. And the thing is – we don’t know what we know, right? So if you have the capacity to do so, why not employ the often immense knowledge that is available in the form of experienced practitioners of every available art?
A chiropractor can assist in developing the best bodily structure that supports a smooth, easy birth. What’s that mean?
It’s just like training for an Olympic event: Regular chiropractic care can help develop a balanced pelvis that research has shown reduces the chances of breech – or posterior-type birthing, both methods meaning a higher risk of failed birthing.
Secondly, think about it from the baby’s perspective: Having a lot of free, unobstructed womb space to grow is literally the best kind of environment to be born in, right? An experienced chiropractor can help develop that kind of environment, simply because they know how best to realign bone structure for it.
Setting yourself up with the best conditions may lead to an amazing and smooth experience overall. That also potentially means noninvasive births and reduced (or nonexistent) reliance on drugs, both significant plus-points these days.
What To Expect During A Chiropractor Visit While Pregnant
Most visits to the chiro will begin with an analysis of your current situation: From your diet to your daily habits such as sleeping/seating position and posture, an experienced chiropractor will assess every element to determine treatments to the pain you are experiencing.
Treatments generally start with adjustments to the skeletal system, whether through gentle massage or sometimes firmer movements to get things back in alignment. These manipulations are typically safe for the baby and provide significant pain relief without the use of medications.
In fact, some treatments can aid in the smooth delivery of your baby. Adjustments to the sacrum and the ligaments in your belly can relieve tension and create a better position from which to deliver a baby.
You may be asked to continue treatment at home by performing exercises, stretches, and general adjustments to your lifestyle to further cement the effectiveness of the initial adjustments.
Where To Get The Best Chiropractic Care
Now that you have read and understood what chiropractic can do for a pregnant lady, the next step would be to find qualified doctors to provide care.
Drs. Michael and David Black are veterans of the industry, often praised for their detailed yet tender care to oftentimes nervous mothers. With over 36 years of combined experience, there is very little they have not seen. That can only mean that you (and the baby!) will receive the best of chiropractic service when visiting their clinics in Victoria.
Book an appointment by calling (03) 9509 7691 or visit www.BlackChiropractic.com.au to find out more.
