Chiropractic During Pregnancy

56% of pregnant women suffer from lower back pain.Yet, few of these women seek medical attention for their symptoms. If you’re pregnant and experiencing lower back pain, chiropractic care may be a good solution. There are several excellent reasons why chiropractic care can relieve your back pain and boost your health during pregnancy.

 IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE SAFE DURING PREGNANCY?

According to literature reviews on the safety of chiropractic care during pregnancy, it’s considered a “safe and effective means of treating common musculoskeletal symptoms.” In addition, there are no known contraindications to chiropractic care during pregnancy. In general, chiropractic care is a licensed medical practice with proven results for certain conditions like lower back pain.

 BENEFITS OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR LOWER BACK PAIN

Let’s look at the benefits that chiropractic care could have on your lower back pain during pregnancy.

1. Reduce back pain through all-natural therapies

First, studies show that chiropractic care can have a positive impact on lower back pain. In one recent case, pregnant women who underwent spinal manipulation saw pain reduction and 94% experienced clinical improvement of their back pain. Other studies also saw favorable results with chiropractic interventions for lower back pain during pregnancy. While other all-natural remedies exist for pregnancy symptoms, chiropractic care is known to reduce pain and get your back on track quickly.

2. Treat pregnancy sciatica

Another common cause of lower back pain among pregnant women is sciatica. Sciatica includes lower back pain symptoms, but also affects the nerves down the legs. Pressure on the sciatic nerve is normal during pregnancy, but it can be extremely painful. Chiropractic care can help relieve pain from sciatica through spinal and muscular adjustments, as well as massage.

3. Maximize the mother’s spinal and pelvic alignment

The baby’s position can also affect lower back pain during pregnancy. While there’s little literature on baby position and backache, anecdotal evidence suggests that certain positions are more painful for the mother because of pressure placed on different organs or nerves. A chiropractor will adjust the mother’s spinal and pelvic alignment in order to get her system back in balance.

Chiropractors won’t turn breeched babies or try to change the baby’s position, but rather focus on the mother. In turn, the American Pregnancy Association suggests that these chiropractic adjustments on the mother make “babies have a greater chance of moving into the correct position for birth, and the crisis and worry associated with breech and posterior presentations may be avoided altogether.”

4. Relieve stress and anxiety

Chiropractic care is known to have secondary benefits such as stress and anxiety reduction. This is a key factor for pregnant women, as relaxation and stress reduction are connected to fewer pain symptoms. Specifically, chiropractic sessions reduce blood pressure and thus promotes relaxation.

5. Alleviate headaches and other pregnancy symptoms

Chiropractic care is also known to alleviate certain pregnancy symptoms, including headaches and nausea. By adjusting the body and getting it into alignment, chiropractors are able to help your body stay stable and healthy. In particular, studies show that chiropractic care can help relieve migraine symptoms in pregnant women.

WHAT SELF-CARE REMEDIES ARE RECOMMENDED FOR BACK PAIN DURING PREGNANCY?

In addition to chiropractic care, chiropractors will often recommend self-care remedies to try at home. Some of the most common self-care remedies include:

• Take an omega-3 supplement: Omega-3 may play a role in pain reduction. It has anti-inflammatory properties that may help keep your pain back down.
• Use hot and cold compresses: Hot and cold compresses are a great way to get quick pain relief. Wet a cloth with cold water; then switch to hot.
• Try pregnancy yoga and water gymnastics: Yoga and water gymnastics have a positive impact on reducing stress and pain in pregnant women.

A chiropractor may recommend these self-care remedies, or others, to accompany medical adjustments and therapies.

CONTACT A CHIROPRACTOR NEAR YOU

Chiropractic care may be right for you. Given its proven benefits in research studies, you may get lower back pain relief, as well as relief from sciatica, painful positions, stress and pregnancy symptoms. Contact a chiropractor near you to get a personalized care plan. An expert chiropractor will help you look at your health during pregnancy in a holistic way that includes exercise, diet, supplements and adjustments.

By seeing a chiropractor, you can improve your quality of life during pregnancy and focus on your soon-to-arrive baby. 

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Dr. Brent Wells is a graduate of the University of Nevada where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree and completed his doctorate from Western States Chiropractic College. He founded Better Health Chiropractic in Juneau, Alaska. He became passionate about being a chiropractor after his own experiences with hurried, unprofessional healthcare providers. The goal for Dr. Wells is to treat his patients with care and compassion while providing them with a better quality of life through his professional treatment.