Not sure if you should see a chiropractor when you are pregnant? The truth is, chiropractic care during pregnancy has been shown to be extremely beneficial to both mom and baby. Here are some of the benefits that you stand to gain:
1. Proper Pelvic Balance and Alignment for You, Proper Positioning for Your Baby
As your belly grows to make room for baby, posture changes and pelvic misalignments can actually reduce the amount of room available to your growing baby. This may also make it difficult for your baby to get into position for delivery.
Regular chiropractic adjustments can maintain proper pelvic balance and alignment, providing room for your growing baby and helping them get in the best position for delivery. In fact, chiropractic care can even correct or prevent breech presentation in the baby, allowing for a safer delivery. The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in 2002 reported an 82% success rate of turning babies from a breech position when Doctors of Chiropractic used the Webster Breech Technique.
2. Improved Nervous System Function
When your spine is in alignment and free of subluxations, your nervous system can function at optimal levels. This allows the body to work more effectively, which is especially important in the midst of all the changes taking place in your body.
Chiropractic care will help your body adjust to these changes and can even provide relief from some of your pregnancy symptoms. These include nausea, back pain, sciatica, Headaches and mid back pain just to name a few.
3. Faster Labor and Delivery
Chiropractic care during pregnancy has been shown to potentially reduce your time in labor and delivery. Through her World Federation of Chiropractic Research, Dr. Joan Fallon showed spinal adjustments reduced labor time by 31% and 25% for subsequent children. By helping the baby get in position for delivery and making sure your body is in position for delivery as well, chiropractic care can provide a decreased risk of cesarean delivery .
By maintaining proper alignment in your body, you and your baby are best prepared for the natural delivery process and stand a better chance against medical interventions that other deliveries may require.
4. Relief From Low-back Pain
Researchers estimate that between 45-75% of pregnant women will experience low back pain at some stage of their pregnancy and up to 33% rate their pain as severe. As your body shifts and makes room for your growing baby, postural changes and altered gait can create tension on your spine resulting in extreme low-back pain. Regular chiropractic adjustments can help your body adjust to these changes by correcting misalignments and alleviating unnecessary spinal pressure. According to Journal Manipulative Physiol Therapy 2009, almost 75% of women undergoing chiropractic manipulation report significant pain reduction and clinically significant improvements in disability.
Bonus: You can avoid medications that mask/cover up the pain and actually treat it at its source, which is better for both you and baby.
5. Improved Recovery
After the arrival of your baby, the ligaments that loosened during pregnancy begin to tighten up again. Chiropractic care can assist in re-aligning everything in order to prevent future problems and pains, which means a better recovery for you.
Whether you’ve been seeing a chiropractic doctor for a while, or have never been adjusted, if you are pregnant you should seriously consider including regular chiropractic visits in your prenatal and postnatal care plan