More years ago than I care to remember ago, I wrote my final year thesis on back pain in pregnant women. As well as meeting some delightful people, this study opened my eyes to the amazing changes that the human body copes with during pregnancy. Unfortunately, some of those changes involve a great deal of stress upon the spine, making low back pain in pregnancy very common.
During pregnancy, a woman’s centre of gravity almost immediately begins to shift forward to the front of her pelvis. This displaced weight increases the stress on your joints. As the baby grows in size, her weight is projected even further forward, and the curvature of the woman’s lower back is increased, placing extra stress on the spinal discs. In compensation, the normal curve of her upper spine increases as well. While these changes sound dramatic, pregnancy hormones help loosen the ligaments attached to the pelvic bones. But even these natural changes designed to accommodate the growing baby can result in postural imbalances, making pregnant women more prone to awkward trips and falls.
Each year chiropractically trained health care practitioners help many mums to be by relieving the aches and pains caused by the changes in the body during pregnancy. Chiropractic adjustments are safe for pregnant women and their babies and can be especially attractive if you are trying to avoid taking pills to treat the pain.
At our clinic, we offer advice on how to lift and carry, how to improve your posture and how to exercise to improve your spinal health. All our Spinal health care practitioners train for a minimum of five years before qualifying The main chiropractic technique is to gently adjust, using our hands, the parts of the spine and joints which are not moving properly. The health care practitoners will use modified techniques to ensure your comfort and safety whilst you are pregnant. These techniques can be used safely in the later stages of pregnancy and even during labour.
One of our clients and mum of two had chiropractic adjustments throughout both her pregnancies in our clinic: “My practitioner was great and I had less back ache during the pregnancy and a hassle-free natural birth. I would definitely recommend it.” Of note her entire family including both her children regularly undergo Chiropractic adjustments in the clinic.
In fact, chiropractic care during pregnancy has been shown to significantly reduce the length of the labour. First time mums averaged a 24 per cent shorter labour, while mothers who had already given birth experienced a 39 per cent reduction in the average labour length, compared to those not having chiropractic care (Fallon, 1991). A practitioner trained in Chiropractic aims to make the pregnancy more comfortable and healthy using natural techniques: chiropractic is a drug-free discipline. A US study showed that women who received chiropractic adjustments in their third trimester of pregnancy were able to carry and deliver children with more comfort (Hendryson, 1987). A further US study, showed that chiropractic care reduced the need for pain killers by 50 per cent.
Chiropractic care can also help after childbirth. In the eight weeks following labour and delivery, the ligaments that loosened during pregnancy begin to tighten up again. Ideally, joint problems brought on during pregnancy from improper lifting or reaching should be treated before the ligaments return to their pre-pregnancy state to prevent muscle tension, headaches, rib discomfort, and shoulder problems. It is also worth going onto the International Chiropractic paediatric Association website www.ICPA4Kids.com This site is a great resource for all things pregnancy and paediatric related. It also provides a link to all registered and specifically paediatrically trained practitioners.