Your Pregnancy & Chiropractic Therapy
For mothers, both pre and post natal health is in a delicate state of balance due to the millions of hormonal changes taking place in their bodies. These chemical reactions in the mother’s biological system are all coordinated through the nervous system which is controlled by the spine, the body’s main center of nervous control.
For the complexities of organic chemistry occurring in a pregnant woman’s body to occur with the highest level of performance, the spine must be in excellent health. Chiropractors assess the health of the spinal cord by looking for misalignments in the vertebrae, also known as vertebral subluxations. When the spine has one or more of these misalignments, the vertebrae cannot flex and move properly. This stiffness can cause irritation that blocks nerve impulses from flowing through the body efficiently, and for a pregnant woman this could complicate all the chemical changes her body is going through.
Hormonal fluctuations are also responsible for weight gain in pregnant women which is a natural preparation for supporting the life of the developing embryo inside of her. However, weight gain also puts stress on the musculoskeletal system by altering the center of gravity of the woman. Weight shifts more forward and creates a downward pressure on the spine. This often leads to low back pain or even neck pain. Besides the weight gain another hormonal change, namely the release of a pregnancy hormone known as relaxin that loosens up ligaments, can become a source of additional pressure on the spine as the body’s weight is relaxed onto it for support.
Another source for possible pregnancy complications is a misaligned pelvis. By shifting the normal positioning of the pelvis a situation can be created where the fetus doesn’t have enough room in the uterus, and is forced into a compromised position that isn’t ideal for delivery. If this positioning is too problematic a C-section may need to be performed.
A study into pre-natal chiropractic care for women showed that they had on average 25 percent shorter labor periods. Furthermore back pain was shown to be reduced in pregnant women by chiropractic care for 84 percent of the women studied.
Receiving chiropractic care is safe for pregnant women and their developing children. It has been shown to be useful in reducing or eliminating entirely the need for taking pain medication, which could put unneeded stress on the fetus.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Carlo Scherer