Chiropractic Care For Back Pain Relief During Pregnancy

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During my 35 years of chiropractic practice I have heard many interesting comments from my patients who were pregnant. One lady who received a great deal of lower back pain relief through chiropractic care during her second pregnancy said: "I wish I had known to go to a chiropractor during my first pregnancy." She went on to tell me that she had not had chiropractic care the first time she was pregnant and had suffered a great deal of lower back pain. This article will discuss how pain of the back can result during pregnancy and how chiropractic care can give lower back pain relief.

Another statement I heard was from an assistant who worked for me named Christine. She became pregnant with her first child and I gave her chiropractic treatments throughout her pregnancy. She not only experienced very little pain of the back but also had a very easy and quick delivery of her baby. During one of her visits to her female obstetrician, while pregnant, the obstetrician told her: "I would have never made it through my pregnancies if it hadn't been for my chiropractor." I've found that over the years obstetric professionals have become more acceptive of chiropractic care for pregnant patients and suggest and recommend patients see chiropractors for treatment-especially went back pain is involved.

Back discomfort can develop during pregnancy because of postural changes that are occurring due to changing weight-bearing of the mother. As the baby grows, it causes the mother's posture to shift forward. This can put strain on the joints of the lower back and pelvis. If this occurs misalignments and abnormal movements can irritate pelvic and spinal joints which creates discomfort of the back.

Chiropractic care is a safe, gentle way for realignment of the lower spine and pelvis and gives pain relief. For this reason, obstetricians and primary care doctors recommend their pregnant patients to chiropractors because it is a drug-free alternative therapy for relief of lower back pain.

Additionally, a normally aligned pelvis allows the baby to be properly positioned during the various stages of pregnancy. Studies show that women receiving chiropractic care during pregnancy and especially through the last trimester tend to have quicker, easier deliveries of their babies. It should be stressed that chiropractors do not turn or reposition babies during pregnancy. This is the realm of the obstetrician. All chiropractic care does is make sure the pelvis and the spine are in optimal position. Some chiropractors utilize the Webster Technique, which is a safe, gentle method to help with alignment of the woman's pelvis to give relief of back discomfort. The Webster Technique is one of the many forms of treatment that chiropractors can provide to give pain relief of the back during pregnancy.

Pelvic Back Pain Relief During Pregnancy

During pregnancy many women experience discomfort in the back of the pelvic area. Gentle, safe chiropractic care can be utilized to gain relief of pelvic back pain during pregnancy. This article will discuss why pelvic pain occurs during pregnancy and what can be done to give relief of back pain.

Two thirds of expecting mothers will experience back pain during their pregnancy. One in five will experience pain in the pelvis. These maladies can significantly impact a woman's quality of life during this important time. It may hinder her ability to work, take care of chores around the home, sleep well and to enjoy the experience of her pregnancy.

During pregnancy many wonder what the cause of pelvic and back pain is exactly. The growing fetus shifts the center of gravity forward in a woman's body. This places stress and strain on the spine and the pelvic joints which are also called the sacroiliac joints. The sacroiliac joints are on either side of the tailbone area. If one were to point to the center of the rear pockets of your blue jeans that would be where the sacroiliac joints are located. If biomechanical stress from the expectant mother's posture causes misalignment or improper movement of the sacroiliac joints, pelvic pain can occur.

Chiropractic care has been shown to help with this discomfort. On the initial visit a chiropractor will perform an evaluation to determine if the sacroiliac joints are the source of the problem. This is done by looking at the woman's posture, evaluating how she bends and moves and by gently palpating or feeling the muscles and pelvic joint alignment. If there is misalignment or improper motion of the sacroiliac joints safe, gentle chiropractic care can be given to give pain relief.

In a scientific research study in 2014, 115 pregnant women received chiropractic care for lower back and pelvic pain. Amazingly, 52% reported improvement after one week of care. Interestingly, the study showed that those women who had back pain before their pregnancy tended to do have higher pain scores during their pregnancy than those expectant mothers who experienced no pain before they were pregnant.

Chiropractors use a variety of methods to treat women with pregnancy related pelvic and back pain. One method that is popular in treating pregnant females is called the Webster Technique. The Webster Technique utilizes certain methods of care to realign the pelvis and lower spine of the expecting mother and has been successful in helping thousands of women gain relief of pain of the back. It is also common after the baby has been delivered for women to see a chiropractor for any back pain that may be existing and to make sure the pelvis maintains proper alignment postpartum.

Pregnancy Back Pain Relief

Many women experience lower back pain during their pregnancy. Fortunately, there is a viable solution offering pain relief. This article will discuss why mechanical back pain of pregnancy occurs, some recent research detailing back discomfort during pregnancy, and a drug-free, nonsurgical alternative method to gain relief of spinal pain for expectant mothers.

First let's discuss the physical changes placed on the spine and pelvis as pregnancy progresses. As the fetus grows and enlarges the mother's stomach protrudes and places stress upon the lower spine, which is called the lumbar area. The bones of the lumbar spine are called vertebrae. Joints between the vertebrae of the lumbar spine are called the facet joints. The facet joints undergo more and more mechanical stress as a woman's pregnancy progresses.

Likewise, the bones of the pelvis may become misaligned, causing irritation of the joints and possibly a pinched sciatic nerve, a painful condition causing radiating nerve pain down the leg.

A research study in the journal Pain Management Nursing, June 2020 noted questionnaires completed by 400 expectant mothers revealed that 75% had experienced back pain at some point in their pregnancy, particularly in the lumbar region during the third trimester. Nearly half of the women in this study (45%) reported that their back pain limited their daily activities. Clearly back pain during pregnancy is a problem and a solution needs to be addressed.

Chiropractic doctors commonly treat low back pain rising from pregnancy with a combination of manual therapies and specific exercises. Chiropractors utilize spinal adjustments to realign the joints of the lumbar spine and pelvis to help expectant mothers gain pain relief. Chiropractic spinal adjustments are safe and gentle methods of treatment.

One method of chiropractic care, called the Webster Technique, has been successful for treating women during pregnancy for decades. Dr. Larry Webster, a chiropractor, found that using a chiropractic treatment method he developed, helped many women experience a much more comfortable pregnancy and easier and faster deliveries.

The Webster Technique is now taught in the profession of chiropractic and many chiropractors become certified after being trained in the technique and procedures. By doing an online search or simply calling a chiropractor's office one can readily find a chiropractor who is certified in the Webster technique.

Many midwives, obstetricians and obstetric nurses have observed the benefits pregnant women receive to obtain low back pain relief through chiropractic care and readily recommend expectant mothers seek chiropractic services. Women who would like to have a healthy and comfortable pregnancy would be well advised to investigate having a chiropractor on their healthcare team for possible assistance.