By Karen Perry, a freelance writer with a passion for health and wellness.
Want a healthy pregnancy? See your family Chiropractor!
If you look at a woman toward the end of her pregnancy, her postural changes are obvious. Gazing at her silhouette, you’ll notice that her back is curved and her belly protrudes. As she walks, her gait is a bit of a waddle as she compensates for her widening hips and low center of gravity.
Invisible Changes
The changes inside her body can’t be seen so easily. As a woman’s body progresses through pregnancy, hormones cause her ligaments to relax and soften, allowing the pelvic bones to expand for the baby. All these hormonal changes and chemical reactions occurring within her body can create postural strain in the spine, making pregnancy very uncomfortable. The vertebra that enclose and protect the spinal cord can become misaligned, creating pressure on the spinal nerves. In addition, the extra weight that she gains during pregnancy along with the shift in her center of gravity can cause lower back pain and muscle spasms.
She may be a beautiful, glowing vision but she’s probably feeling quite a bit of discomfort or even pain. Chiropractic care during pregnancy is a safe and effective way to alleviate and prevent back pain. One study showed that 75% of pregnant patients who received Chiropractic care during their pregnancies found relief from back pain. Chiropractic care can not only ease the physical symptoms that go along with pregnancy, it can improve the nerve energy that is vital for the development of a healthy baby and mother.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy can:
1. Prevent sciatica, the painful inflammation of the sciatic nerve that runs down your lower back, buttocks, legs and down to your feet.
2. Relieve back, neck and joint pain.
3. Alleviate common pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, headaches, leg cramps and carpel tunnel pain.
4. Improve the alignment of the spine and pelvis, helping to ensure that the baby is in the proper birthing position and improving the chances of a quicker and easier delivery.
There are gentle ways to adjust a woman during pregnancy. Dr. Tompkins is one of a few Chiropractors in Southern Arizona that is certified in the Webster technique, which was developed to balance the pelvis for optimal fetal positioning. This technique can actually turn a breech baby, helping the mother to avoid a cesarean section. Chiropractic care during pregnancy is known to help prevent difficult labor and results in a safer and easier delivery for both mother and child.
If you would like to find out how Chiropractic can help you, please contact our office for a free consultation at 520-572-2596.
Sources:
Shaw G. When to adjust: chiropractic and pregnancy. J Am Chiropr Assoc. 2003;40(11):8–16.
