5 Reasons To See Your Chiropractor During Pregnancy.

While pregnancy is one of the most joyous, exciting times in an expectant mom’s life, the whirlwind of changes that happen during pregnancy can wreak havoc on a mom-to-be’s body. Weight-bearing joints and regions of the spine, specifically the lower back and neck, tend to be the areas that suffer the most. That’s why more and more OBGYNS are recommending their patients add chiropractors to their prenatal care team. In fact, 40% of obstetricians report referring their pregnant patients to chiropractors last year. When it comes to relieving pregnancy related back and joint pain there’s no better choice than your chiropractor. Proactively taking care of the musculoskeletal system during pregnancy can prevent problems during labor and minimize post-delivery recovery time. Here are 5 key ways seeing your chiropractor regularly during pregnancy can help:

1. Chiropractic Keeps the Spine Aligned & Moving Properly

The weight gain a woman’s body experiences during pregnancy adds significant additional stress to a woman’s frame in a short amount of time. This extra stress on the spine, combined with the ligament laxity caused by the increased circulating levels of progesterone, estrogen and relaxin hormones during pregnancy, makes it easy for vertebra to shift and misalign. And ask any pregnant woman: the pain caused by these misalignments can be quite severe. Chiropractic care during pregnancy helps to keep the spine in proper alignment and the supporting muscles, tendons and ligaments to be better prepared to handle the extra weight.

2. Chiropractic Care Reduces the Need For Medication

Most people experiencing mild to moderate pain will pop a few OTC painkillers and go on their way. However, most of the most commonly used drugs for back and neck pain – advil, ibuprofen, and aspirin – are off-limits for pregnant women, and OBGYNs generally recommend against taking any OTC medication while pregnant unless absolutely necessary.

Chiropractic, on the other hand, is exceedingly safe compared to other pain managment options and gets results fast. According to a review of evidence in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, the average number of treatments needed to achieve substantial relief is just 1.8 adjustments for most moms-to-be.

Chiropractic care corrects the underlying issues that cause pain, allowing pregnant women to avoid the need for medications. Suffering less pain and eliminating the need for potentially dangerous medication is a win-win for expectant mothers.

3. Chiropractic Care Minimizes Long-Term Damage

The 25 to 30 pounds of extra weight a woman has to carry during pregnancy causes a lot of wear and tear on the body. Utilizing chiropractic care to correct abnormal motion in combination with active rehab to strengthen and stabilize areas of weakness is the best way to minimize the effect the large, protruding abdomen has on an expecting mother’s hips, legs, and ankles.

4. Chiropractic Makes Delivery Easier & Faster

An aligned pelvis is critical to the birthing process, and increases the chances of being able to give birth naturally. According to the American Pregnancy Association:

“When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother’s ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth.”

Effectively aligning the pelvis before delivery allows for an easier, faster delivery. Studies have shown that first-time expecting mothers who receive regular chiropractic care throughout gestation have, on average, a 25% shorter delivery, whereas multiparous women (moms who have delivered two or more times) have their labor time reduced by 31%.

5. Chiropractic Care Improves Your Ability To Bounce Back

Let’s face it, every pregnant woman is worried about fitting into their “pre-kids” clothes again. The bottom is, the healthier and stronger a woman’s body is before and during pregnancy the easier it is to get back into shape post-pregnancy. Eating right, taking care of your musculoskeletal system and keeping up an exercise routine are the most effective ways to accomplish this.

Women who exercise during pregnancy have more energy, fewer mood swings, better posture, are able to manage stress more effectively, and achieve more restful sleep. What’s more, women who exercise gain 21% less weight throughout gestation, enjoy shorter, easier labors (decreased by an average of 2 hours), experience fewer medical interventions (24% fewer cesarean deliveries and 14% reduction in use of forceps), experience less fetal distress, and enjoy a faster recovery.

As a sports chiropractic clinic, at Ascent we’re constantly helping our pregnant patients develop exercise routines compatible to their changing bodies throughout pregnancy and be active longer than those moms-to-be suffering from back pain and achy joints. After the delivery, it’s easier to get back into a fitness routine, and into your “pre-kids” clothes if your joints, back, and hips are aligned and functioning properly.

Chiropractic care reduces pain and improves the overall heath of expectant mothers, letting them relax and focus on the more pleasant aspects of pregnancy. Expecting moms who commit to regular chiropractic care can look forward to a stronger body, a smoother delivery, and an easier recovery after the baby comes.

The Ascent Chiropractic Difference

Looking for a Brookfield prenatal chiropractor for care during pregnancy? At Ascent Chiropractic Dr. Grant Radermacher specializes in a gentle, hands-on, low-force adjusting technique that gives him the ability to treat everyone from moms-to-be to newborns to seniors. To make an appointment today, call us at 262-345-4166 or use our online scheduling app.

Sources:
Borggren, CL. Pregnancy and chiropractic: a narrative review of the literature. J Chiropr Med. 2007 Spring; 6(2): 70–74.
Lisi, AJ. Chiropractic spinal manipulation for low back pain of pregnancy: a retrospective case series. J Midwifery Women’s Health. 2006;51(1):e7–e10.