There are many weird quirks and changes that come with being pregnant. Although different pregnant women experience different changes, most report having at least one of these ailments – back pain, neck pain, joint pain and hip pain. The pain is brought by the increasing weight in the front, which alters the posture and pressure is placed upon the joints and ligaments.
I’m sure most of you seek to relieve the pain without affecting your pregnancy. Hence, we’ll gladly share about the chiropractic treatment during pregnancy!
What is chiropractic care?
Chiropractic is much more than just another treatment for pain relief in treating muscle, bones, joints, and connective tissues. Chiropractors are specially trained to detect and remove areas of poor bio-mechanics in the spine and resulting interference in the normal function of the nervous system. Restoring this function by hands-on chiropractic manipulation allows your body to do what it was designed to do more effectively, which is repair and regulate itself, helping you to feel better and achieve true health.
Is chiropractic safe during pregnancy?
Chiropractic is a non-invasive, drug-free discipline meaning that the risks associated with it are very low. Adverse events are very rare and your chiropractor will assess you individually for any risks before commencing care. Having chiropractic care during pregnancy helps reduce nerve system stress, balances spinal and pelvic muscles and ligaments and optimises the mother’s spinal and pelvic function in pregnancy and birth.
Be sure to let your chiropractor knows if you have any of the following conditions so that the chiropractor will assess and advise you accordingly:
- vaginal bleeding
- placenta previa or placenta abruption
- ectopic pregnancy
- moderate to severe toxemia
Your prenatal chiropractor may use specific adapted techniques, pregnancy pillows or table modifications to take into account for the mother’s relaxed ligaments and to avoid unnecessary pressure on the abdomen.
What are the benefits of chiropractic care for pregnancy?
As your pregnancy sets in, there will be several physical changes, such as an increasing back curve due to gravity shifts and to accommodate your growing belly. These changes will result in a misaligned spine or joints and impact your nervous system as you adapt to your posture. Other painful transformations, such as pelvic misalignment, will alter pelvic opening and create tension through the soft tissues which support the uterus and hence, lead to unstable pelvic balance and intrauterine constraint.
Besides, pregnant women will also experience some physiological changes to their body. One of the pregnancy hormones, relaxin, loosens joints, increases mobility and decreases stability which creates aggravation of previous joint injuries and amplifies pelvic imbalances.
Chiropractic adjustments can relieve the pain and discomfort as well as re-establish pelvic balance. Additionally, it promotes your body’s natural abilities to function by restoring spinal health and reducing negative impacts on the nervous system. Chiropractic care also allows for optimal baby positioning, which encourages breech babies to turn their heads down and prevent issues from a breech presentation.
How can chiropractic care benefit my baby-to-be?
A misaligned pelvis can restrict the amount of space available to your developing baby. If an external force is blocking the baby’s normal movements, this condition is known as intrauterine constraint. It may cause many defects in a baby.
Pelvic misalignment is also what leads to some babies in the breeched position.
The founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) developed a technique known as the Webster Technique that enables the chiropractor to establish pelvic balance and reduce stress on the uterus and supporting ligaments. With the empirical results, ICPA recommends pregnant women have regular chiropractic care throughout their pregnancy to establish pelvic balance and ensure safe delivery.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy is aimed at minimising musculoskeletal strain, optimise neurological function. It helps create stability and alignment of pelvis and improve posture and strength. It also helps enhance your general well-being and help prepare for labour and the post-partum period.
Having regular chiropractic care helps to provide a good environment in the womb whilst the baby is developing, allow the baby to get into an optimal position prior to birth. This will help to give the baby a better start with less postural, muscular and neurological strain.
A well-maintained, balanced pelvis will lower the chance of having breech babies and the need of cesarean delivery.
Choosing the right Prenatal Chiropractor
Many pregnant women are now seeking the benefits of chiropractic care throughout their pregnancy. This phenomenon increases the rate of health care providers finding trained chiropractor doctors to refer their pregnant patients to.
Make sure that the chiropractor you pick is licensed and has had special training to work with pregnant women or better yet is Webster certified under International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA).
Most importantly, seek options that allow for a natural, healthier pregnancy and doctors who respect your choices.
Book an appointment with Elite Spine Centre (ESC) now!
ESC offers many chiropractic services for different conditions, and our chiropractors are well-trained in providing the right treatment. We have the expertise needed to gently provide chiropractic care during pregnancy in order to promote health and manage pain.
We ensure both the baby and pregnant woman will feel safe and comfortable throughout the whole session. We get as much of your medical and pregnancy history as possible to provide the best possible results.
Due to the strain pregnancy can cause on the spine, pelvic areas and the surrounding soft tissues, we pay extra care and attention to these areas.
To get you started and ensure a smooth pregnancy journey, we’ve prepared a special introductory package covering almost everything you need for your first few visits to our clinic!
Visit us at 2 Kallang Ave, CT Hub 1, 339407 or call @ +65 6904 8400