Potential Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful experience, but many women have discomfort while they are pregnant that can range from mild to severe. If you have discomfort during pregnancy, you may wonder whether chiropractic care could help. On the other hand, you may have concerns that chiropractic treatment during pregnancy could harm you or the baby.

Concerns About Safety

First, you can rest assured that chiropractic treatment is considered safe during pregnancy. The risks involved are minimal, and chiropractic care is not considered a cause of miscarriage, especially if the pregnancy is otherwise healthy. Chiropractors receive training on how to treat pregnant women during the course of their education at chiropractic college. Therefore, they know to be gentle with you and not put unnecessary stress on the abdomen.

However, if you still have concerns about it, it never hurts to ask your obstetrician or primary care doctor if you should receive chiropractic treatment during pregnancy. Though it is generally safe, there may be particular contraindications that apply to your individual situation. For example, chiropractic work may not be a good idea if you have placental abruption or vaginal bleeding. If you’re still nervous about it even after a doctor gives the okay, you may wish to consider seeing a chiropractor who specializes in treating pregnant women.

Benefits for Mother and Child

Multiple changes take place in your body as the baby grows. Some are hormonal and some are mechanical in nature. However, chiropractic care may be able to benefit both. For example, hormonal changes can lead to pelvic pain as your body prepares to deliver, which can be severe. The uneven distribution of weight from your burgeoning belly can put pressure on your spine and lead to back pain. Chiropractic treatment can help to alleviate both symptoms. Some chiropractors claim that chiropractic care can also alleviate the symptoms of nausea related to pregnancy, but there is little in the way of clinical evidence to back this up.

Chiropractic care, can also benefit the baby. Intrauterine constraint can occur when your pelvis is out of alignment. If this happens, your baby may not have enough room to grow. Chiropractic work can put the pelvis back into the proper position and relieve the constriction.

Chiropractic treatment can also help improve the baby’s positioning within the womb. This can help make delivery easier and reduce the risk that you will require a cesarean section. A particular chiropractic method called the “Webster technique” is regarded as particularly useful in ensuring good alignment and preventing breech presentation, in which the baby comes buttocks-first instead of head-first.

A good chiropractor can explain the benefits of chiropractic during pregnancy in more detail. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.