Most women begin the journey of conceiving without thinking about the structural support needed to nurture a growing fetus. Chiropractic is a viable, non-invasive, and safe method to help get the body prepared for conception. The body is controlled by the nervous system and many women have subluxations (misaligned vertebra) particularly in the low back and pelvic regions that do not allow for proper nerve flow to the end organs.
In pregnancy the body undergoes a variety of changes each day. These changes can include:
· Weight gain
· Change in weight distribution
· Increased demand on and fatigue of spinal and pelvic muscles;
· Increased stress on spinal and pelvic ligaments
· Increased lumbar and thoracic spinal curves, further increasing stresses
· Increased joint stress, leading to vertebral and sacroiliac joint misalignment
· Morning sickness
· Release of the hormone Relaxin, causing muscle and ligament relaxation that allows joints to more easily misalign
These changes primarily affect the pelvic and spinal ligaments, muscles, joints and other supportive soft tissues. Pelvic and spinal structures can be stressed, altering spinal biomechanics. The result is an increased stress on the body often leading to pain and discomfort. Dr. Anna can help alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms arising from the muscular, ligamentous, and biomechanical stresses encountered during pregnancy while allowing optimum positioning of the baby. This is accomplished through the use of a number of highly specialized procedures and techniques. She uses gentle adjusting techniques specifically designed for use on pregnant women to assist the body in maintaining a spine free from vertebral misalignments. While receiving regular chiropractic care, the patient will experience pain relief and keep biomechanics functioning optimally to minimize complications during birth. In addition to addressing the spine, soft tissue work via massage, trigger point work, and soft tissue mobilization can also help to keep muscles relaxed and flexible, reducing muscle aches and pains and reducing spinal stress.
Labor and birth can be less daunting when the mother is under chiropractic care throughout pregnancy because the patient knows they have addressed the structural aspects to optimize their body's ability. Any baby position even slightly off during birth will slow down labor, adding pain to both the mother and baby. Many women have been told that their babies were too big, or labor "just slowed down" when it was really the baby's presentation interfering with the normal process and progression. Interventions are then implemented during this natural process turning it into an operative one. Often women experience less medical intervention, shorter births with less trauma and easier transitions during labor as the baby is coming down the birth canal. These are accomplished with proper alignment in the pelvis and sacrum allowing enough space for the baby to come down with less effort and trauma. Contractions are smoother and more consistent when the nervous system is functioning fully; in turn the hormone secretions and end organs are working efficiently.
Williams Obstetrics Text tells us that, "any contraction of the pelvic diameter that diminishes the capacity of the pelvis can create dystocia (difficulty) during labor." They further state that the diameter of the woman's pelvis is decreased when the sacrum is displaced (subluxated). Chiropractors address these subluxations by delivering a gentle adjustment to realign the sacrum and thus reduce the chances of having dystocia.
Breech Presentation
Dr. Anna performs a very non-invasive, gentle technique called the Webster Technique. The Webster Technique, discovered by Dr. Larry Webster, is a specific chiropractic adjustment for pregnant mothers. Working to correct sacral subluxations, this technique balances pelvic muscles and ligaments in the woman's pelvis, removes constraint and allows the baby to get into the best possible position for birth. This technique has a high success rate in allowing babies in the breech position to go into the normal head down, or vertex, position. It's ability to facilitate easier, safer deliveries for both the mother and baby are things to consider when in this situation.
Newborn Babies & Chiropractic
The baby should be checked shortly after birth as well to make sure the cranium and spine are moving correctly, thus the nervous system is functioning properly. There are some signs to look for that could indicate the need for chiropractic care, such as difficulty in breast feeding either with their latch, suck or palate, not getting adequate sleep, infrequent or difficulty with bowel movements, behavior challenges such as colic, acid reflux, not gaining weight, torticollis and restricted range of motion or pain with certain motion to name a few. Dr.Anna is Board Certified in Chiropractic Pediatrics and uses gentle techniques, unlike those used on adults, to help restore normal bio mechanics to the cranium and spine
