Why You Should See a Chiropractor During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be such a wonderful experience for a woman, but with all of the physiological and endocrinological changes that happen, it can turn into a not-so-wonderful experience for some. Every woman and every pregnancy is different and no two experiences will be the same.

While your body is preparing to create an environment for the developing baby many postural changes happen to compensate for these changes. With a protruding abdomen, your normal center of gravity is disturbed and causes an increased curve in your low back. In compensation, the normal curvature of the upper spine increases as well. Your pelvis will also start to rotate forward with the increased curve in your low back and the weight of your growing baby pulling you forward, eventually causing changes in the way you walk and make you more prone to trips and falls. This may all sound dramatic and unpleasant, but this is what a woman’s body is designed to do.

Having your pelvis in balance for walking purposes is not the only important reason to visit your chiropractor during pregnancy. When your pelvis is not aligned it can reduce the amount of space available for your growing baby and possibly restrict your baby from getting into an optimal position for birth. This can affect your ability to have a natural birth without any interventions.

All chiropractors are trained to work with pregnant women but some take a special interest in pregnancy and seek additional training. Chiropractors who work with pregnant women use a special pillow or table that allow you to lie comfortably on your stomach without any additional pressure on your abdomen and use specific techniques to decrease tension on your pelvis and developing baby. One of the specific techniques used is called the Webster Technique. This technique has been clinically shown to reduce breech babies with an 82% success rate (1). It is beneficial to receive Webster Technique throughout your pregnancy to keep your pelvis aligned and decrease the stress placed on your uterus and growing baby.

Decreasing back pain and potentially preventing a cesarean delivery are not the only benefits to regular chiropractic care during pregnancy. Maintaining an overall healthy pregnancy due to strengthening your immunity through the nervous system is a major benefit. Chiropractic care has also shown to control nausea and reduce the time of your labor along with back pain during labor.

After you have delivered your new bundle of joy, your chiropractor can help you with some of the post-delivery aches you may be experiencing. They are there to help you heal quickly so that you can spend more time enjoying life as a new mom and less time worrying about back pain.

Dr. Karis and Dr. Cassi love to treat pregnant mothers and their families. Please call the office at 360-693-3030 if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment.

 

Reference: 

1. The Webster Technique: A chiropractic technique with obstetric implications. Pistolese, Richard A. Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics , Volume 25 , Issue 6 , 1 – 9