Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
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| Click Image to Enlarge | Pregnancy & Chiropractic Care [Published on June 16, 2014] For most women being pregnant is the experience of a lifetime but when it comes to prenatal care many don't know that a doctor of chiropractic can help with the aches and pains. |
It is every woman’s dream to experience natural childbirth that is devoid of extraneous interventions. Many women don’t understand that epidurals, forceps, and vacuums are traumatic not only for the mother, but for the baby as well and are unfortunately used on a regular basis during the birthing process. Obviously there are cases in which such interventions are necessary but they should not become part of the standard operating procedure.
The postural changes caused by a woman’s protruding abdomen throughout pregnancy places a significant amount of stress on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the low back and pelvis . These stresses can lead to the pelvis becoming torqued or twisted , a condition known as intrauterine constraint , which can compromise the space of the developing baby. Chiropractors certified in the Webster Technique have the ability to restore a state of balance in the pelvic joints, musculature, and ligaments to create an environment that allows for a much more natural delivery process.
The Webster Technique as defined by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) as “a chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces nervous system stress and potential intrauterine constraint by improving pelvic muscle and ligament function which can reduce torsion to the uterus and allow the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.” This also maximizes uterine space allowing for optimal baby development thereby decreasing the restriction on developing structures such as the cranium, spine, and extremities. Having the maximum space available also allows the baby to move into the best possible position for birth decreasing the chance of breech presentation which subsequently decreases the need for C-section or other medical interventions. This in no way means that chiropractors are turning breech babies. They are simply providing a state of pelvic balance and therefore increasing the opportunity for the mother to give her child a natural and less traumatic birthing process and achieved in a very gentle non-invasive way.1
Specially designed pillows which protect the mother’s belly are placed on the treatment table so that range of motion in her sacrum (tailbone) can be assessed. The side lacking proper motion is adjusted using an apparatus on the table that enhances the very slight mobilizing pressure applied to the restricted joint. It is a very quick and simple adjustment and in no way harms the mother or her baby. The mother then lies on her back so an assessment of the round ligament can be performed. This structure is found to be under a significant amount of stress during pregnancy and a massage type technique is then applied to decrease this tension. While this is the primary form of treatment used in prenatal chiropractic care, other therapies that can be utilized in conjunction with this to enhance the expectant mother’s overall range of motion.
An article published in the 2002 edition of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics demonstrates the effectiveness of this technique. One hundred and twelve expectant mothers in their third trimester took part in the study. 87.5% of those in their seventh month (14 of 16), 98% of those in their eighth month (50 of 51), and 84.4% of those in their ninth month (38 of 45) experienced resolution of breech presentation after application of the Webster Technique. While chiropractic care throughout pregnancy would be most beneficial this study showed an overall success rate of 82% when applied at various times during the final trimester of pregnancy.
Increasing the public’s awareness of such forms of complementary care can help decrease the need for cesarean interventions and give mothers the natural childbirth that they have always dreamed of.
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| Chiropractic Adjustment for Pregnancy [Published on Sep 27, 2012] Dr. Jen of Elevation Now shows us the Webster technique for chiropractic care during pregnancy and explains some of the benefits it can have on your health. (1) | ||
| Chiropractic care during pregnancy decreases the chance of a mother experiencing dystocia. |
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