21 Nov Can I Use Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy?
When a woman is pregnant, she often worries about what is safe to do while pregnant. Gentle chiropractic care is safe, drug-free, and effective for pregnant women. In fact, celebrities such as Gisele Bundchen and Cindy Crawford have used chiropractic care while pregnant. Most chiropractors are trained to treat women who are pregnant or trying to conceive. From my experience, it’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of a patient’s fertility journey, pregnancy care, and postpartum treatment.
When a woman is pregnant, her body begins to rapidly change. A few common changes related to spinal health include:
- Increased back curve
- Protruding abdomen
- Pelvic changes and spinal alignment issues
- Postural adaptations (Any posture or movement is based on patterns of muscle activation and deactivation)
Here are 6 common reasons pregnant women find chiropractic care helpful:
Reduced sciatic nerve pain: Many pregnant women experience sciatic nerve pain because of their changing body and posture. Certain adjustments and stretches can help get your body on track and reduce the pain from the pinched nerve.
Improved alignment of the pelvis: A pregnant woman with a misaligned pelvis can experience excessive pain. In addition, a misaligned pelvis reduces the amount of space available for the baby – this is called an intrauterine constraint. By improving pelvic alignment, pregnant women can help their growing baby find a good position for delivery.
Enhanced positioning for the baby: If the hips and lower spine are misaligned, the baby could end up breech or even sideways. Chiropractic care can help position the baby correctly for birth while reducing pain for the pregnant woman’s hips and back.
Improved control of nausea and morning sickness: Sometimes, pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting. If a vertebra is out of place, women can experience a pinched nerve. This pain can trigger nausea and vomiting. An adjustment and muscle therapy can help reduce the nerve pain and provide a remedy for an upset stomach and nausea.
Increased relief of back, neck, and joint pain: A woman’s body goes through many changes during pregnancy. These changes can be painful, especially if a woman starts to develop poor posture or tight muscles in the back or neck area. Chiropractic care can help provide relief from common growing pains. Ask your chiropractor for workouts and stretches that you can do to continue your pain relief and mobility work at home.
Better labor and delivery experience: When a baby is in the optimal position for labor and the woman’s pelvis is properly aligned, labor becomes much easier and safer. It’s also important to make sure her hips and spine are properly aligned too. This helps relieve extra pain and can provide better positioning for both the baby and mother for labor and delivery. Some women say they believe their labor and delivery experience took less time because they received chiropractic care.
Chiropractic care doesn’t need to end once the baby arrives. Many women will include chiropractic care as part of their postpartum recovery to ensure any misalignments that occurred during delivery are fixed and improved. Chiropractic care can also help fix posture problems and pains from feedings and carrying around a new baby for extended periods of time. In fact, newborns can even see a chiropractor. For example, chiropractic care can help reduce stress on the baby from delivery, improve sleep, treat colic, and help with constipation. Some things to look for would be the positioning of your baby’s head while sleeping, in the carrier, and in pictures
Did you see a chiropractor as part of your pregnancy journey or postpartum care plan? Leave us a comment and tell us your story. We’d love to hear how chiropractic care helped your pregnancy journey!
Call us at 765-962-4476 to schedule an appointment today!
Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to treat, cure, or provide any medical recommendations. Always consult your doctor or chiropractor about making changes or adjustments to your care and routine.
