Seeking help with the Discomfort and Pain of Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, a woman’s center of gravity shifts forward to the front of her pelvis. This additional weight in front, causes stress to the joints of the pelvis and low back. As the baby grows in size, the added weight causes the curvature of her lower back to increase, placing extra stress on the fragile facet joints on the back side of the spine. Any pre-existing problems in a woman’s spine tend to be exacerbated as the spine and pelvis become overtaxed, often leading to pain and difficulty performing normal daily activities.
Studies have found that approximately 50% of all expectant mothers develop lower back pain at some point during their pregnancies. This is especially true during the third trimester when your baby’s body gains the most weight. spine & wellness care throughout pregnancy can relieve, and even prevent, the pain and discomfort frequently experienced during pregnancy, as well as creating a relaxed environment to facilitate an easier, safer delivery.
During pregnancy, your centre of gravity shifts forward to the front of your pelvis. This additional weight causes stress to the joints of your pelvis and lower back. Moreover, as your baby grows in size, this additional weight causes the curvature of your lower back to increase. This places significant stress on the fragile facet joints on the back side of your spine. Subsequently, any pre-existing spinal problems which you may have sustained before pregnant may be exacerbated as both your spine and pelvis become overtaxed. This can lead to continuous pain and discomfort in your lower back, muscles and joints as well as an increased difficulty to perform normal daily activities.
Thankfully, regular spine & wellness treatment throughout your pregnant can help alleviate pressure to your spine and pelvis and help you to cope with the physical stress of pregnancy, by restoring your body’s normal state of balance.
So much so that many of our pregnant clients have found that undergoing continuous spine & wellness treatment has helped them avoid using pain medications during their pregnancy. Moreover, medical studies have shown that spinal adjustments can actively help to reduce the duration of labour.
At the Spine & Wellness Centre, we are committed to the mental and physiological wellbeing of all our clients throughout the various stages of their pregnancy. We utilise state of the art medical equipment to alleviate and strength your spine, muscles and joints, as well as offering gentle massage therapy and exercise advice which is individually tailored to accommodate the needs and abilities of each of our clients. Listed below are but a few of our wellness tips for pregnant women:
- Receive regular spine & wellness adjustments in order to maintain a healthy skeletal structure and nervous system function throughout pregnancy and during childbirth,
- Undertake daily exercise: low impact exercises such as walking, swimming, or stationary cycling are suitable cardiovascular exercises for pregnant women,
- Avoid jerking or bouncing movements as well as weight bearing exercises: If you experience nausea, dizziness or weakness of any kind whilst exercising, cease exercise immediately,
- Wear flat shoes with arch supports to prevent injuries to your foot muscles or ligaments,
- When picking up children, bend from the knees, not the waist in order to prevent the risk of lower back injuries,
- When sleeping, lay on your side with a pillow between your knees to alleviate lower back pressure,
- Eat several small meals or snacks every few hours, as opposed to three large meals per day: Eating small meals will help alleviate nausea, stabilize blood sugar and allow your body to extract the maximum amount of nutrients from the foods that you eat,
- Undergo sports massage therapy treatments which will comprehensively to support the healing process of your injured muscles and joints,
- Ask your doctor about prenatal vitamin with between 400 and 800 micrograms of folic acid every day: This is because folic acid has been proven to dramatically reduce the risk of neural tube defects in a developing foetus. However, check with your doctor before taking any vitamin or herbal supplement ensure it is safe for you and your baby.
To book an appointment please call 01438 532 075 or view availability and book on-line here.
Research:
Outcome of pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain treated according to a diagnosis-based decision rule: a prospective observational cohort study. Murphy DR, Hurwitz EL, McGovern EE. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Oct;32(8):616-24.
Treatment of pregnancy-related low back pain: a systematic review of the evidence. Stuber KJ, Smith DL. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2008 Jul-Aug;31(6):447-54.
The safety of care during pregnancy: A pilot e-mail survey of chiropractors’ opinions. Kent Stuber. Clinical Chiropractic (2007) 10, 24-35.
Pregnancy and wellness: a narrative review of the literature. Borggren CL. J Chiropr Med. 2007 Jun;6(2):70-4.
CASE STUDIES:
Intractable migraine headaches during pregnancy under spinal wellness care. Alcantara J, Cossette M. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2009 Nov;15(4):192-7. Epub 2009 May 2.
The Care of a Gravid Patient with a History of Multiple Caesarean Births & Sacral Subluxation. Joel Alcantara, BSc, DC1 and Ingrid Hamel, DC, FICPA. J. Vertebral Subluxation Res. March 11, 2008.
Treatment of a pregnant patient with lumbar radiculopathy. Kruse RA, Gudavalli S, Cambron J. J Chiropr Med. 2007 Dec;6(4):153-8.
A manual therapy and exercise approach to meralgia paresthetica in pregnancy: a case report. Skaggs CD, Winchester BA, Vianin M, Prather H. J Chiropr Med. 2006 Autumn;5(3):92-6.
Spinal manipulation for low back pain of pregnancy: a retrospective case series. Lisi AJ. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2006 Jan-Feb;51(1):e7-10.
Conservative management of groin pain during pregnancy: a descriptive case study. Ducar D, Skaggs CD. J Chiropr Med. 2005 Winter;4(4):195-9.