Santa Barbara chiropractic wants you to know that chiropractic adjustments are absolutely safe during pregnancy. In fact, it is highly advisable to get adjusted while you are pregnant.
You’ve probably noticed that 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, although designed to help the mother during labor, can produce much discomfort 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 recipe for severe low back pain. As a 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.
A bonus to seeing a chiropractor routinely during your pregnancy is that there is proof that it can actually decrease labor time. Why do chiropractic adjustments help? Simply put, if the pelvis is aligned properly, the muscles contracting during the labor process are more efficient because they don’t have to fight past misaligned joints.
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. In addition, should the need arise, a trained chiropractor can assist a mother who has a breached baby. This is done by using the Webster Technique, a low force manipulation of the uterus that helps to get the baby into the appropriate position for birth. Additional information on the Webster Technique can easily be found online.
To summarize: Chiropractic is both beneficial and safe in helping to relieve many of the discomforts of pregnancy. To any pregnant woman reading this, I advise you to please go to see your chiropractor. Chiropractic care can make you feel a lot more comfortable during your pregnancy, and make your labor process easier.