A pregnant person’s body undergoes enormous changes throughout a pregnancy. And while many of them are typical and expected, they can impact how you feel for nine months and beyond. For example, gaining weight is normal but can cause back and hip pain. And as the baby grows, you may experience sciatic nerve pain.
Fortunately, most pregnant person can safely undergo chiropractic manipulations and adjustments to help relieve pain throughout their bodies. Here are some of the benefits of receiving chiropractic care during pregnancy and what to expect at your appointment.
What Is Prenatal Chiropractic Care?
Prenatal chiropractic care is a specialized form of chiropractic care that focuses on the unique needs of pregnant people. While most chiropractic care focuses on adjusting and manipulating the back, prenatal chiropractic care focuses more on the pelvis. Using a series of gentle adjustments, the practitioner works to establish pelvic balance and spinal health throughout pregnancy.
Is Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy Safe?
A review of the medical literature found that chiropractic care is a safe and effective method to treat some of the common ailments patients may experience throughout their pregnancy. However, the review also noted that there are relatively few clinical studies to prove its safety, and more are needed.
Anyone considering chiropractic treatment during pregnancy should consult with their obstetrician before beginning any treatment. While most chiropractic care is safe, pregnant patients should not receive any electric treatments, such as stimulation, ultrasound, or radio diagnostic imaging.
Risks of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
Though it’s generally safe for pregnant people to undergo adjustments and manipulations during their pregnancy, gestational people with certain conditions should avoid chiropractic care. Those include:
- Placenta previa
- Toxemia
- Edema
- Vaginal bleeding or spotting
- High blood pressure
- Premature labor
- Cramping
It’s also important to stay aware of signs and symptoms that could indicate a problem. If you experience any of the following, you should discontinue care and contact your primary care physician immediately:
- Increased pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Contractions
What to Look for in a Prenatal Chiropractor
While chiropractors are trained to work with pregnant patients, they aren’t required to have any specialized training. However, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) offers additional programming and certifications for chiropractors who want to learn more techniques for treating pregnant people.
The association has three certifications and one diploma program. They are:
- Webster Certification
- Perinatal Certification
- Pediatric Certification
- Diplomate Program
Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
Throughout pregnancy, the gestational parent’s body changes to accommodate the growing fetus inside. The changes can have an enormous impact on the spine and pelvis.
On average, a pregnant person gains between 25 and 35 pounds over nine months, which is healthy and needed for their growing baby. And during that time, the added weight can lead to spinal problems. The sacroiliac joints (the joints between the pelvis and lower spine) become stressed. As the baby grows outward, spinal discs can compress, creating more stress.
In addition to weight gain, the pregnant parent’s hormones change. The body releases more progesterone, estrogen, and relaxin to loosen the joints. While this happens to prepare the body to deliver the baby, sometimes the joints get too loose. Combine this with stretched and weakened abdominal muscles, and this increased laxity puts more pressure on the spine, further destabilizing it.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy focuses on realigning the pelvis, restoring balance to those ligaments, and reducing joint pain throughout the body.
Back and Pelvic Pain
It’s not uncommon to experience back and pelvic pain throughout pregnancy. This is caused by necessary weight gain, loosening muscles, and a change in the center of gravity. As the uterus expands out, it presses toward the back of the body and away from the front. This changes how a pregnant person carries their weight, and their body responds accordingly.
This change stresses joints and ligaments that are not used to that kind of weight. And because other muscles loosen and weaken, the muscles and tissues that compensate can become strained, leading to pain.
Sciatica
Sciatica happens when you pinch your sciatic nerve and is often caused by a herniated disc or (more rarely) a bone spur. During pregnancy, it’s usually caused by a growing baby and an expanding uterus, but it also happens because of the weight gain, relaxed muscles, and a shifting center of gravity.
Sciatica is common in the third trimester and can be uncomfortable, with pain, numbness, and tingling in the lower back and legs. While there’s a good chance the sciatica will disappear a few months after giving birth, during pregnancy, chiropractic adjustments can help relieve the pain by reducing the pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Neck Pain
While most pregnant people experience pain in the lower back and pelvis, it’s not uncommon to experience pain in the upper cervical area. Similar to pain in the lower back area, the additional weight and shift in how that weight is carried can impact the curvature of the spine, and your neck muscles may step in to help support your back. This can lead to neck pains and headaches.
Can Chiropractic Care Help With a Breech Presentation?
Though most babies have turned to a head-down position by 30 to 34 weeks, not all of them do, putting them in one of four breech positions. Some patients seek chiropractic care in the hopes that the practitioner can “flip” the baby.
The Webster Technique is a set of chiropractic adjustments that can improve and maintain pelvic balance and alignment. It’s primarily used to align the pelvis. That, in turn, reduces tension and strain in your back and hips to make you more comfortable.
While the chiropractor doesn’t manipulate or move the baby, using the Webster technique during the last trimester can encourage the baby to move into the correct birthing position.
What to Expect at a Prenatal Chiropractor Visit
Your visit will usually begin with an assessment of your pregnancy and current needs. From there, the practitioner will discuss which techniques most effectively address your concerns.
Chiropractic tables usually have sections that can raise and lower different parts of your body away from the table, enabling you to lie face down. A pillow may be placed under your belly to provide additional support and comfort during the adjustments. If laying face down isn’t comfortable, you can lay on your side, though some treatments may not be as effective.
The treatment will consist of gentle manipulations to adjust your pelvic alignment and help realign your back and hips to reduce pain throughout your body.
How Often Should I Visit a Chiropractor During Pregnancy?
During the first trimester, most patients see their chiropractor once a month. Some patients stick with monthly visits through the second trimester, while others benefit from more frequent visits and opt to schedule appointments two to three weeks apart. During the last trimesters, many patients schedule weekly adjustments to reduce pain and prepare for childbirth.
Like any treatment or physical therapy, you and your practitioner will work together to determine the optimal schedule for your needs.
Find Relief
Regular chiropractic care can provide pain relief through pelvic alignment and spinal balance. And the team at Flourish Chiropractic can help you find the relief you need. Our chiropractors and Webster-certified chiropractors understand how to provide the optimal chiropractic adjustments that will help you feel your best.
We also offer a wide range of therapies to help you throughout your pregnancy, including:
- Prenatal massage
- Postural training
- Nutritional counseling
- Exercise recommendations
Schedule an appointment at one of our Seattle locations today.
