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Pregnancy Should Not Be a Pain
By Dr. Dawn E. Mello
Having a baby is one of nature’s most amazing events. Being pregnant should be remembered for all of the joyous new experiences of carrying new life, such as the first time you feel your little miracle kick. Unfortunately, many women experience back pain during their pregnancy along with other musculoskeletal symptoms, which keep them from enjoying each moment with their developing baby. Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can help reduce or eliminate many of those complaints so you can cherish the miracle of life.
Is chiropractic care safe during pregnancy?
Chiropractic care is very safe for both mother and baby during pregnancy. Adjustments are delivered with low force and in specific positions comfortable to the mother and her growing belly. Chiropractic care is a hands-on approach to reducing the symptoms of back pain, sciatica, and other symptoms experienced during pregnancy. Many pregnant women are unable to use other pain relieving methods, such as medications, due to the adverse affects on the baby.
How does chiropractic care help during pregnancy?
First we need to look at the stresses that pregnancy places on the body. During pregnancy, the body produces the hormone relaxin. Relaxin is necessary to allow the muscles and ligaments in the pelvis to stretch to accommodate the growing baby and impending birth process. However, this increased elasticity makes it easier for the joints in your spine and pelvis to misalign, in addition to an increased risk for joint sprains and muscle strains.
Pregnancy also increases weight gain and changes weight distribution in the body as the baby continues to grow. These changes place increased demand and fatigue on spinal and pelvic muscles and ligaments. They also exaggerate the normal curvatures of the lumbar and thoracic spine.
Doctors of chiropractic can alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms arising from the muscular, ligamentous, and biomechanical stresses encountered during pregnancy. This is accomplished through the use of a number of highly specialized procedures and techniques including gentle spinal adjustive procedures, soft tissue work, therapeutic exercises and stretches, and dietary and general pregnancy information. The primary goal of the therapy is to rebalance and strengthen the body placing it in an optimal position to handle the stresses of pregnancy. Reducing the stresses on the mother’s body, in turn, reduces the constraints on the developing baby in the uterus. This helps the baby properly position itself for the labor and delivery process.
Can any chiropractor treat my pregnancy-related symptoms?
All chiropractors are trained in identifying joints which are misaligned and different techniques in re-aligning those joints. However, there are several questions that should be addressed when choosing a chiropractor for treatment during pregnancy, such as what training and/or experience does he/she have in treating pregnant women and will the muscular elements as well as joint misalignments be addressed. It’s also important to be able to trust and feel comfortable with your chiropractor. Trust your instincts, which are especially acute during pregnancy.
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