Back Pain During Pregnancy? Chiropractic Care Is The Answer
Pain During Pregnancy Isn’t “Normal”
It’s surprisingly common for pregnant patients suffering from back pain to not seek help because it’s seen as a “normal” part of pregnancy, but it’s important to know that dealing with debilitating pain that affects your ability to perform day-to-day activities is anything but normal, even when you’re pregnant. One of the most common reasons mothers-to-be tend to not seek care is a reluctance to take medications while pregnant. The good news is that chiropractic care at Ascent Chiropractic in Brookfield is a drug-free, non-invasive option that has been shown to be incredibly effective at helping establish pelvic balance and alignment, relieving the cause of most pain related to pregnancy while also optimizing the position of the baby for development and delivery.
What The Evidence Says
A recent study from the journal Chiropractic & Manual Therapies looked at the effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments for 115 pregnant patients who complained of pain in their low back and/or pelvis. The results were incredibly encouraging. After being treated for one week, 52% of the participants reported they had already noticed improvements. After a month of care that percentage increased to 70% and by three months 85% of the patients reported significant reductions in pain and disability.
The benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy didn’t end at delivery, either. A year after the start of the study the patients were interviewed again. This time, 88% reported full resolution or significant improvement in their back and pelvic pain in the months following delivery. Given that experiencing back pain during pregnancy is typically one of the strongest predictors for future episodes of back pain, these findings are significant. Taking care of your spine during pregnancy can have lasting benefits for your health after it.
The results of the study support evidence from a randomized, controlled trial comparing chiropractic care and standard medical care for pregnant women published in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2013. The study tracked women who were 24-28 weeks into their pregnancy and reported suffering from significant back pain. The women were randomly assigned to either a group to receive chiropractic care or a group to receive standard medical care. At 33 weeks, the women who had been treated by a chiropractor reported that their pain and disability levels were significantly lessened. The patients receiving standard medical care reported no significant change in their symptoms.
What If I Don’t Have Pain?
The benefits of regular chiropractic care during pregnancy aren’t limited to pain relief! The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association recommends that pregnant women receive chiropractic care throughout their pregnancy to establish proper pelvic balance and optimize the positioning of the baby for development and delivery.
The Ascent Chiropractic Difference
At Ascent Chiropractic we use gentle, low-force spinal adjustments when working with pregnant women. Due to the effects of progesterone and relaxin hormones produced during pregnancy, correcting misalignments in the joints of pregnant patients can be done with gentle, low-impact manipulations instead of the high-force, high-velocity adjustments often associated with chiropractic care. These spinal adjustments are often combined with massage, stretching, and exercise rehabilitation for safe, effective, natural relief.
Do I Need A Referral?
While we work closely with many Brookfield OBGYN’s (they tend to love our adjusting technique), in Wisconsin patients do not require OB or PCP referrals to begin chiropractic care. Ready to start? To make an appointment at Ascent Chiropractic, call 262-345-4166 or schedule an appointment with our online scheduling app.
Resources:
George J, et al. (2013). A randomized controlled trial comparing a multimodal intervention and standard obstetrics care for low back and pelvic pain in pregnancy. Am Journal of Ob Gyn. 208(4):295.
Peterson C, et al. (2014) Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies. 22(1):15.
About the Author
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