How can chiropractic care relieve pregnancy pains?

Low back pain, mid back pain, and pelvic pain are common in pregnancies. But they don’t have to be. Adjustments can ease the pain and help the baby settle into a more birth-ready position.

Why the pain?

With all of the wonderful new experiences of pregnancy, there are also new pains. Pregnant people often feel pain where their spines meet their pelvises. Why does this happen?

A person’s spine and pelvis are under new stress when they are pregnant. They support new weight and receive less support.

Abdominal muscles usually support the spine. During pregnancy, they stretch around the growing belly and weaken.

Ligaments connect bones. They keep the body stable. During pregnancy, a hormone called relaxin readies the body for giving birth. It relaxes ligaments and joints in the pelvis.

As the belly grows, the pregnant person’s center of gravity shifts. A pregnant person’s posture changes and puts new stress on the spine.

Emotional stress can also tighten muscles in the back, causing pain. But a comfortable pregnancy is still possible.

What can adjustments do?

Adjustments are quick, low-force movements to adjust joints. Sometimes, a joint pops when it is corrected.

Chiropractors can adjust a pregnant patient’s pelvis. When a pelvis is not aligned correctly, it can reduce space for the baby. It can also stop a baby from moving into position for an easy delivery.

Pelvic adjustments can create more space for the baby, easing pain and helping the baby move into a better position.

Chiropractors can also use the Webster Technique. This technique is a specific sequence of adjustments, including the sacrum, a bone that forms the back of the pelvis. The Webster Technique can increase space for the baby to move. In a 2002 survey, this technique had an 82% success rate of encouraging a head-down position for birth.

What other methods relieve pain?

Round ligaments can become painful throughout pregnancy. Round ligaments anchor the uterus. As the uterus grows, the round ligaments stretch. This tension can cause spasms and pain.

Round ligament release is a technique that can relieve pain. Chiropractors apply gentle pressure on the round ligaments until they relax.

Taping can also support a pregnant person’s belly. It supports muscles, joints, ligaments, the diaphragm, and posture. It decreases pain, swelling, and pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor. It can also be an alternative to belly bands as it helps hold the weight of the belly.

With proper care, pregnancy can be more comfortable and manageable.

Have more questions? Make an appointment here. We look forward to helping you to better health.

By Dr. Alexandra Correll, D.C.

Why get acupuncture?

Feeling stressed or in pain? Acupuncture balances your nervous system to help your body relax and heal.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is thousands of years old, dating back to 100 BCE. Originally from China, the practice is continually developed and used by doctors today. Traditional Chinese medicine views acupuncture as balancing the flow of energy, or Qi, in the body. Practitioners do this by placing tiny needles along meridians, or channels of Qi. Western medicine utilizes acupuncture along meridians to relieve pain.

How does acupuncture work?

Some people feel squeamish around needles, but acupuncture is practically painless. A doctor quickly inserts very thin needles into specific points on the body. Sometimes the needle insertion feels like a pinch. Sometimes the patient doesn’t even notice the doctor inserted the needle.

The needles help the body heal itself. They stimulate the central nervous system. This releases chemicals into muscles, the spinal cord, and the brain. And the chemicals help the body perform its natural healing process.

What do the needles treat?

Acupuncture is used to treat many ailments, including dental, labor, back, neck, muscle, knee, and face pain.

It treats strokes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injuries, cerebral palsy, phantom pain, complex regional pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and spinal injuries.

Also, it helps with arthritis, headaches and migraines, sports injuries, cancer and cancer treatment side effects, irritable bowel syndrome, repetitive strain disorders, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, tennis elbow, respiratory disorders, menstrual cramps, infertility, menopause and hot flashes, and pregnancy discomforts.

Or, it can simply help create a calm state of mind. Acupuncture can aid with numerous ailments and is an excellent treatment to utilize in your chiropractic treatment plan.

Have more questions? Make an appointment here. We look forward to helping you to better health.

By Dr. Alexandra Correll, D.C.

Why get an adjustment?

Twist, pop — relief. A quick adjustment alleviates the pain. How does an adjustment relieve pain, and what else can it do?

Why the pain?

Do you lean over your phone or computer? Lift heavy objects? Slept in an awkward position? Crashed in a car accident? Or have fallen? These are only a few causes of neck and back pain. When joints do not move easily in their normal manner, they have restricted motion. This can lead to pain, muscle tightness, and a decreased range of motion. Adjustments restore movement in joints, allowing the muscles to relax, and alleviating pain.

What does an adjustment look like?

When adjusting, a chiropractor uses quick, low-force movements to realign a joint. The adjustment can be delivered by hand or with gentle instruments such as an activator or drop piece. Sometimes, you’ll hear a popping sound when the joint is corrected. Chiropractors perform adjustments on more than the neck and back. They can treat musculoskeletal pain anywhere, including your head, jaws, shoulders, hips, pelvis, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles.

How else does an adjustment help?

Adjustments can alleviate symptoms of arthritis, headaches, sciatica, scoliosis, muscle aches, and whiplash. They can also improve posture, increase range of motion, and reduce inflammation.

Adjustments can also help kids with colic, ear infections, acid reflux, vertigo, and athletic performance.

Chiropractic adjustments are the first step in the healing process. Adjustments increase movement, relieve pain, and improve function. Our chiropractors will help you maintain the improvements you’ve made by prescribing exercises and stretches. Although we’d love to see you regularly, our ultimate goal is to provide you with what you need to manage pain through movement on your own.

Have more questions? Make an appointment here. We look forward to helping you to better health.

By Dr. Alexandra Correll, D.C.