Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

The most common reason women seek out chiropractic care during pregnancy is for relief of pains associated with pregnancy from feet all the way up to the neck and head with special attention to pregnancy back pain especially pregnancy related low back and pelvic pain, neck pain and joint pain. During pregnancy, a woman’s posture changes to adapt to the growing fetus. There can also be pelvic changes and potential joint and spinal misalignment from a protruding belly and an increased curvature to the back – all of which can cause back pain, neck pain, and joint pain and stiffness.

Chiropractic adjustments relieve pain caused by these postural adaptations, pelvic changes, spinal misalignments, and joint stiffness, as well as help maintain joint mobility.

• A 2012 review published in African Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health examining 12 studies into the benefits of chiropractic and pregnancy found that “chiropractic treatment can offer relief to women with musculoskeletal complaints.”1

Relief from Intrauterine Constraint

Other benefits of chiropractic and pregnancy include relief from Intrauterine Constraint. Intrauterine Constraint is any force external to the fetus that obstructs that fetus’ normal movements such as a mother’s misaligned pelvis. This is common with a first baby as a mom tends to start carrying things like groceries on the hip. In our experience, an even more common situation is with the second child the mother may still be carrying the first child on the hip. However, many other factors contribute to this condition, this is just an example.

Intrauterine constraint can be caused by a range of different factors, any of which can be alleviated with chiropractic adjustments from a prenatal chiropractor. Chiropractic adjustments establish pelvic balance, which in turn provides room for the fetus to grow and get into position for delivery. This also serves to reduce low back and pelvic pain, as well as the likelihood of back labor and dystocia (difficult labor).

Helping Baby into Optimal Birthing Position

In addition, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) recommends prenatal chiropractic care to help the baby to move into the proper position for delivery, thereby preventing the chances of a breech birth or even turning a breech baby, thereby preventing the need for a Cesarean delivery.

To summarize, the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:

• Relief of pain and discomfort in the back, neck, and joints
• Reducing labor and delivery time
• Reducing instances of breech position and the need for a Cesarean delivery
• Generally maintaining a healthier pregnancy

Safety of Chiropractic and Pregnancy

Of course the big question on most women’s minds (and the men in their lives too) is: Is it safe? And the answer, in a word is: Yes.

The American Pregnancy Association approves of chiropractic care during pregnancy and in answer to the question – How safe is chiropractic care during pregnancy? – reports on it’s website, “There are no known contraindications to chiropractic care throughout pregnancy.”2

In a 2007 Journal of Chiropractic Medicine narrative review of 33 references on pregnancy and chiropractic, the conclusion drawn was that: “Chiropractic evaluation and treatment during pregnancy may be considered a safe and effective means of treating common musculoskeletal symptoms that affect pregnant patients.”3

In conclusion, chiropractic care during pregnancy is not only a safe and proven method of relieving the pain and discomfort of pregnancy but it is widely recommended by experts in chiropractic and pregnancy care alike for helping maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Ravenswood Chiropractic During Pregnancy

Dr. Renn has a great deal of experience working with pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy. He has treated hundreds of pregnant women for pain and other symptoms, as well as intra-uterine constraint, pelvic imbalance and other complications associated with their pregnancy.

Dr. Renn also has a high success rate of babies turning from breech as well as transverse, oblique and other positions, into the optimal position for delivery—including his own daughter!