Is Chiropractic Care Good For Pregnancy?

Throughout pregnancy, a woman’s center of gravity shifts to the front of her pelvis as the baby grows which results in added stress and discomfort in the lower back and the various joints of the pelvis. This shift puts a lot of stress on a woman’s lower back and hip areas which can result in pain and discomfort. Pregnant women are encouraged to limit the over-the-counter pain relievers that they take and that leaves them with very few options to relieve pregnancy-related pain and discomfort.

Many pregnant women experience spinal compression during their pregnancy. When the spine is compressed, nerves can become irritated causing the pain to radiate to other areas of the body. Sciatica is a condition commonly stimulated by pregnancy, involving pain that radiates from the lower back all the way down the legs.

If you have a history of spinal alignment issues or lower back problems, it is likely that pregnancy will often aggravate the condition. Pregnancy can cause the spine to become misaligned to the point that it does not simply go back into place once the pregnancy is complete. This can make the tasks that become necessary once the child is born, such as carrying a baby on your front or back, breastfeeding, and bending over to lift and pick things up, painfully difficult.

Is Chiropractic Care Good For Pregnancy?

Many women experience pain and discomfort during pregnancy and a whopping 80% of pregnant women report that their lower back pain affects their daily routine. You don’t have to just suffer from this pain for the duration of your pregnancy because chiropractic care can get you out of pain and feeling better quickly.

Chiropractic care is good for getting relief from pregnancy pain and discomfort no matter how far along you are. We can adjust our chiropractic techniques to accommodate your growing belly and reduce the amount of pressure used in full-body adjustments without sacrificing efficacy. We regularly see women who are at the tail end of their pregnancy who come in for pain relief in the final weeks of pregnancy and we’re able to effectively treat their pain without putting them or their baby at risk.

Chiropractic care is both safe and beneficial for pregnancy pain but it also has other benefits you’ve probably never considered. For example, as your belly grows, it can throw off your pelvic balance and change your posture. Maintaining pelvic balance is important and it will help you feel better throughout your pregnancy. When your pelvis is misaligned it can reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby (known as intrauterine constraint) and that can reduce your likelihood of being able to have a natural, non-invasive birth. Many women also experience headaches during pregnancy and we can help provide relief by utilizing a wide range of chiropractic techniques.

Getting chiropractic care while pregnant to get regular adjustments can also help control nausea, prevent a potential C-section, and has even been linked to reducing the amount of time women spend in labor. These treatments may even reduce the need for pain medications throughout the delivery! Follow-up treatments can assist in realigning the body after pregnancy in a safe way and speed up the transition to a healthy post-pregnancy body.

Chiropractors can provide you with safe and effective personalized care throughout your entire pregnancy and in the postpartum period. A thorough examination will determine the best treatments to address your discomfort and prepare the body for childbirth. There are plenty of specialized adjustment methods to accommodate pregnancy so don’t assume that you can’t get pain relief from chiropractic care just because you’re pregnant!

We always carefully tailor chiropractic treatments to the needs of the patient and when working with pregnant women, we have plenty of techniques that accommodate growing bellies and allow for an adjustment without having to lay face down on a table. We can also show you safe & effective stretches and exercises you can do at home to relieve tension and pain.

So in short, the answer to “Is chiropractic care good for pregnancy?” is yes! Chiropractic care is safe for pregnant women no matter how far along they are and can even help during the post-partum period. If you’re pregnant and you’re experiencing pain or discomfort, click here to schedule your appointment or call us at (410) 296-7700 so we can help you have a less painful pregnancy!