Benefits of Chiropractic Care during your Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an  exciting and emotional time for many parents. For you (Mom!), in particular,  hormonal, physical and emotional changes can leave you feeling fatigued and in   discomfort, to say the least.

Did you know: almost 50% of pregnant women  experience back pain at some point during their pregnancy? That’s a lot of  needlessly suffering women!

It is probably safe to say, that almost all  Moms-to-be are wary of taking medication (prescription and/or over-the-counter)  due to safety concerns for themselves and their growing baby. Many are turning to natural and holistic means to help them through their pregnancy.  Chiropractic  care is a natural, holistic approach to overall health and wellness that has  helped numerous pregnant women with their aches and pains and also to maintain a  healthy, happier pregnancy.

Chiropractic care is essential for the  pregnant mother. Why? Because her systems and organs are now providing for two  and their optimal function is critical for the baby’s healthy
development. 

Chiropractic care can help in a two-fold way.

1) A whole body  approach.

With the rapidly evolving postural changes and adaptations,  hormonal fluctuations, nausea, food cravings, and everything in
between – you  may be feeling stiff and sore in places you never were before (or even knew  existed!). These new changes put extra stress on your joints, muscles, and  especially your nerve system (which is the communication system between your  brain and body). Regular Chiropractic care can help ease this stress leading to  reduced pain, increased function, and increased health
potential. By having  a properly aligned spine, stress and interference is minimized to your nerve  system – allowing your body to prepare and function as it should for the 9  months ahead.

Some potential benefits of regular Chiropractic care  during pregnancy include1:
- Relieving back, neck, and joint pain
-  Controlling symptoms of nausea
- Reducing labour and delivery times 2 
-  Research indicates that in first time Moms (nulliparous) labour times were  reduced by 25% and in Moms who had given birth before (multiparous) labour times  were reduced by 31%
- Allowing the baby to assume optimal position for labour  and delivery

2) Balancing the pelvis.

The extra stress and strain  of a growing baby put a lot of
pressure on the pelvic joints. This can create  misalignments that may cause tightening and torsion of specific pelvic muscles  and ligaments. These tense muscles and ligaments and their constraining effect  on the uterus are what concern most Chiropractors. The growing baby needs all  the room they can get to move around and get into the proper position for labour  and delivery. A specific Chiropractic analysis and adjustment called the Webster  Technique helps re-establish the biomechanical balance in pelvic structures,  muscles, and ligaments3. This may reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint,  allowing the baby to get into the best possible position for  birth.

Regular chiropractic care during pregnancy helps maintain balance,  alignment, and flexibility of the spinal joints. This allows Mom to maintain a  healthier pregnancy and the growing baby enough room to develop and move around  as he or she needs to. Chiropractic care can be started at any time during your   pregnancy; it’s never too early or too late!

If you or someone you know is pregnant (or even thinking about becoming pregnant), call your local Chiropractor today to get your pregnancy off on the right foot!

Dr.  Andrea Perricone is a Chiropractor at Living Well Family Chiropractic. To learn more about how Chiropractic can benefit you and your family, contact her at  416-985-1911 or www.drperricone.ca

References
1. American Pregnancy  Association   http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/chiropracticcare.html
2. Fallon  J. The Effect of Chiropractic Treatment on Pregnancy and Labor: A Comprehensive Study. Proceedings of the World Federation of Chiropractic, 1991:24-31
3.
The  Webster Technique Defined
  http://www.makinmiracles.com/articles_pregnancy/the_webster_technique_defined.html

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