Pregnancy and Chiropractic
During pregnancy, a woman's body goes through many changes physically, chemically, and emotionally in order to grow a baby and prepare for birth. It is important you are nourishing your nervous system as you transition through the trimesters.
As your body and baby grow, the biomechanics of your spine adapt to keep up with these changes. How your spine moves and bears weight during pregnancy differs, which can place additional stress on the surrounding muscles, ligaments, joints, discs, and bones. This can result in pains and stiffness. In addition to these stresses, a sedentary lifestyle may also lead to pelvic dysfunction which changes how the muscles, ligaments, and nervous system function. This may cause restrictions in the uterus that can inhibit the baby from being in the most optimal position for birth. Research shows 50% of women experience back and/or pelvic pain during pregnancy in which the majority seek paracetamol to relieve pain. Research has shown that chiropractic care can reduce these symptoms in pregnant women by up to 85%.
Increased stress and load is placed on the body during pregnancy
`Chiropractic care can benefit all aspects of your body’s ability to be healthy by optimizing brain-body communication through the nervous system. Our modern lifestyles mean that these spinal communication systems are often dysfunctional due to postural stresses, altered spinal curves, misalignment, joint restrictions, and imbalances in the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and other tissues. Altered spinal structure and neurological function can have profound effects in pregnant women meaning that they may experience more discomfort during pregnancy and often require assisted labor.’ -Dr. Hayden Thomas President of the New Zealand Chiropractors Association
Chiropractic care may influence the function of the pelvic floor muscles by stimulating the nervous system. One study on women receiving chiropractic care in their second trimester showed the pelvic floor muscles were able to relax at rest. This greatly assists in vaginal delivery if this process does not occur naturally.
‘We know that women experience on average a 24% reduction in the length of labor time with chiropractic care during pregnancy and that rises to a 33% reduction for those mothers who have given birth before. By altering the biomechanics and neuromuscular control of the pelvis we are likely enabling the muscles to become more relaxed and joints more mobile which probably helps them to expand more freely during labor and settle more easily afterward.’- Dr. Heidi Haavik Chiropractor, Neurophysiologist and Director of Research at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic
Our Chiropractors focus on improving the communication between the nervous system and all of your body functions. Restoring the function of the nervous system leads to improvement of pelvic and overall body wellness. This can create a less stressful environment for mother and baby.