Are chiropractic adjustments safe during pregnancy Firstly, yes it is a excellent idea to get your spine checked while you are pregnant. As is clear to anyone with a set of eyes, your body is going through many changes, and these adjustments will continue as the pregnancy progresses. A subtle change is your body’s increased production of the hormone elastin. This hormone is designed to relax the tendons in the pelvis. this easing gives the pelvis more flexibility during the birthing process to make delivering the baby easier.
This process, despite the fact that its function is to assist the mother during labor, can create a lot of back pain in the months leading up to the birth. The elastin is being released in larger amounts as the months go on, which allows the pelvis to become increasingly more unstable. In combination with the increased size of the baby and uterus, and you have the ingredients for severe low back pain. As an Oxnard Chiropractor, I currently have several pregnant patients coming into my office for symptoms associated with their pregnancy, but as a rule it is for their low back pain.
One side benefit of having your spine and pelvis checked by a chiropractor regularly during your pregnancy is that it has been shown to actually decrease labor time. Why do chiropractic adjustments help? Simply put, if the pelvis is where it needs to be, the muscles contracting during the labor process are more efficient and won’t have to strain against misaligned joints.
To answer the second question from the introductory paragraph, yes chiropractic care during your pregnancy is safe. Chiropractic is not only safe and beneficial in relieving the low back pain associated with pregnancy, but other symptoms like heartburn, nausea, swelling, and so on. Certain trained chiropractors can also help mothers who have a breached baby. This is done by using the Webster Technique, a low force technique to manipulate the uterus and get the baby into the proper presentation for delivery. A simple Google search on the Webster Technique can give you much more information.
To summarize, chiropractic is both beneficial and safe in helping to relieve many of the discomforts of pregnancy. To any pregnant women out there reading this, please go to see your local chiropractor, or if you are close enough, look up your Oxnard Chiropractor. We can make you feel a lot more comfortable during your pregnancy, and we can even make the labor process easier.