PREGNANCY HEALTH
TODAY
What an exciting time in your family’s life with the new addition.
As your body changes and your baby is developing in the womb, this
puts different stressors/pressure on the spine and pelvis. Ligament
laxity and altered biomechanics during the progressing trimesters
with minimal alternatives to pain management, headaches and sciatic
leg pain leaving you feeling very uncomfortable all the time. There
percentage of women having low back pain according to American
Pregnancy Association is approximately 50 to 70 percent. It usually
occurs at 5-7 months and can occur as early as 8-12 weeks.
Approximately 85% of women with low back pain in previous pregnancy
will develop low back pain in a subsequent pregnancy. According to
Parents Magazine, typical labor time is 14 hours for the first
child and for women who have given birth before, it is about 8
hours. Sheppard Chiropractic wants a healthy pregnancy for both you
and your child.
HEALTHY SPINE = HEALTHY MOM AND BABY
During pregnancy, several hormonal and posture changes are
occurring due to the developing baby. Some of these changes are
misalignments of the spine occur which can be caused by increased
back curve (Lordosis) with abdomen changes, postural compensation,
pelvic changes with altered gait. Establishing pelvic balance and
alignment is another reason to obtain chiropractic care during
pregnancy. When the pelvis is misaligned (Subluxated) it may reduce
the amount of room available for the developing baby. The nervous
system is the master communication system to all the body systems
including the reproductive system.The nervous system controls all
actions (voluntary and involuntary) including the five senses,
digestion, elimination, breathing, heartbeat, wiggling toes, and
especially, you and your baby’s health.The nervous system of the
body is like the electrical system of your house. When a circuit
becomes overloaded, it causes a circuit breaker to blow. We call
the overloaded circuit a subluxation and the circuit breaker are
like a spinal misalignment. Only 10 percent of the nervous system
registers pain, the other 90 percent controls thinking, smelling,
hearing, seeing, breathing, digesting, elimination, and movement.
Research has shown that it only takes the pressure of a dime to
lose 60 percent of nerve function in the body.The presence of
misalignments equals malfunction of the nerves causing pain.
Keeping the spine aligned helps increase the efficiency of the
entire body. Now more than ever, during pregnancy you need a
nervous system that responds immediately and accurately to changing
requirements in all parts of your body. To meet these challenges,
you need a healthy spine!
CHIROPRACTIC CARE
Chiropractic care during pregnancy is safe for both the mother and
baby. Spinal adjustments are especially gentle during pregnancy as
far less force is required to correct subluxations. This is due to
the increase in hormones causing significant muscle and ligamentous
relaxation. A special “Pregnancy Table” also provides comfort and
safety for both the mother and the baby. According to the Journal
of Manipulation and Physical Therapy 1991I, 84% of women receiving
spinal adjustments reported relief of back pain during pregnancy.
Through her research, Dr. Joan Fallon showed spinal adjustments
reduced labor time by 31% and 25% for subsequent children. The
Journal of Manipulation and Physical Therapy in 2002 reported 82%
success rate of turning babies from a breech position when doctors
of chiropractic used the Webster Breech Technique. Chiropractic
Adjustments result in an easier pregnancy, delivery and postpartum
return to health for the mother. If you are an expectant mother,
discover how Sheppard Chiropractic can ease your pregnancy as well
as your delivery. Contact our office today to schedule a
consultation.