Proper function of the spine and nervous system are crucial to the development of a baby and essential to the well-being and comfort of the mom. Chiropractic care during pregnancy has far-reaching effects that extend beyond just treating pain. Doctors of chiropractic have been trained to avoid unneeded pressure on the abdomen and work with pregnant women to establish normal pelvic leveling, muscle tone and nervous system balance as the body adapts to rapid body changes. These are crucial for an optimally healthy pregnancy and to ensure more energy and less stress.
Pregnancy And Chiropractic Care
Proper nervous system and spinal function is crucial to the development of your baby
Benefits of Pregnancy And Chiropractic Care
A pelvis that is dysfunctional and improperly aligned can reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby, possibly leading to intrauterine constraint and birthing difficulties; having a properly functioning and stable pelvis reduces the chances of this occurring. By helping to maintain proper alignment and motion throughout pregnancy, chiropractic care can improve the expecting mother’s ability to have a stress-free and natural birth process – vital to the safety and health of both mom and baby.
Digestive and immune systems often become compromised during pregnancy. Chiropractic care during pregnancy can also help with immunity and common digestive issues that can result from a stressed or imbalanced nerve system caused by nerve pressure.
Want more information on Pregnancy Chiropractic health care? Learn More
The Webster Technique
The Webster technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment. The goal is to eliminate the effects of a subluxation in the sacrum and SI joints. In doing so will reestablish proper communication to the brain. This will allow proper neuro-biomechanical function in the body once again.
Dr. Larry Webster, founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association discovered this adjustment as a safe means to restore proper pelvic balance and function. This specific sacral analysis can be used on all weight bearing individuals to determine S/I joint dysfunction/ sacral subluxation and is therefore applicable for the entire population. The assessment includes heel flexion to buttocks, with restricted flexion indicating the affected SI joint. Correction is made with a diversified, sacral adjustment. It is used on all weight bearing individuals presenting with this biomechanical restriction. Common symptoms include (but are not limited to) low back pain, sciatic neuralgia, and symptoms associated with sacral subluxation and/ or S/I joint dysfunction.
The obstetric literature has determined that correct positioning of the baby in-utero affect birth outcome and decrease the potential for undue stress to the baby’s developing spine and nerve system. Obstetric literature has determined the importance of normal pelvic neuro-biomechanics including uterine function and pelvic alignment for the prevention of dystocia (difficult birth). It has also determined that correct positioning of the baby in-utero affects birth outcome and decreases the potential for undue stress to the baby’s developing spine and nerve system. Chiropractic literature has determined the significance of sacral adjustments in normalizing pelvic neuro-biomechanics.
It is therefore considered prudent that this specific sacral analysis and adjustment be used throughout pregnancy to detect and alleviate sacral imbalance and optimize pelvic neuro-biomechanics in the mother. Because of the particular female adaptations from the increase of hormones, weight gain and postural adaptations, pregnant mothers have a greater chance of sacral subluxation and neuro-biomechanical imbalance than the general population. Additionally, because of the effect the chiropractic adjustment has on all body functions by reducing nerve system stress, pregnant mothers may have significant benefit by having their spines checked regularly throughout pregnancy, optimizing health benefits for both the mother and baby.
Ohm, J. (2017). About The Webster Technique. Retrieved from http://icpa4kids.com/about/webster_technique.htm
Goals Of Pregnancy And Chiropractic Care
Pregnancy and chiropractic care can allow shorter labor times with decreased amounts of unnecessary intervention. Having regular chiropractic care before and during a pregnancy will improve your recovery time. The possibilities and benefits that one can experience during pregnancy is never ending.
Responsibility of the chiropractor is to prepare the body for normal changes during pregnancy and prepare for delivery. Allow your body to properly handle the stresses associated with pregnancy by regular check-ups.
Relief form physical changes are very common with specific care. Our ultimate goal is allow the body to adapt and weather the amazing storm that pregnancy brings with it. This is achieved by bringing balance to the central nerve system and making sure the body is a functional unit.
