Pregnancy Aches and Pains
Pregnancy Aches and Pains
Chiropractic treatment has been shown to be safe and effective during all stages of pregnancy (7), we have helped women only days before they gave birth. Dr Barnes-Heath treated his wife the day before she gave birth to their son.
We take a full medical history and perform a careful examination to diagnose the cause of the pain. We always strive to resolve the cause of the problem rather than mask the symptoms. Before starting any treatment we explain the benefits and risks of the treatment, how long it should take and will answer any questions asked as best we can.
Treatment is by gentle manipulation to restore movement or alignment of joints of the spine and/or limbs. The treatment is not painful and doesn’t put the mother or baby under any stress. Our treatment bench can accommodate the bump so our pregnant patients can lie comfortably. The bench will also support patients who are in severe pain and can not bend; it can lower them into a lying position so they can be treated.
During Pregnancy back pain is the most common condition we treat, over 50% of women complain of low-back pain during pregnancy (8). Usually, 75-85% of the time the pain is from the sacroiliac joints (9). Worryingly 68% of women with low back pain during pregnancy found their back pain continued after the birth and became detrimental to their overall health (10). This defies a common held misconception that low back pain that starts during pregnancy will stop once the birth has happened. It doesn’t for just over two out of three women.
Pregnancy makes back pain more likely because the hormones released cause the ligaments to soften. The pelvic ligaments have to withstand increasing strain as the baby and fluid become heavier and the uterus enlarges causing postural changes such as increased arching of the low back. This combination of increased pressure, softer ligaments and postural changes puts more strain through the muscles and joints of the low back. Particularly the sacroiliac joints which is why these are most commonly affected. Chiropractic treatment has been proven effective for pregnant women with back pain, 84% of patients reporting relief of back pain (11), in a similar study 91% reported pain relief (12).
Chiropractic care during pregnancy may help to reduce complications and interventions during labour - click here for Natural Labour.
Other conditions associated with pregnancy we regularly help are:
• Headaches - these are usually tension headaches due to muscle tension. They respond well to Chiropractic treatment. Migraines are rare during pregnancy; the hormonal changes seem to prevent them.
• Intercostal Neuralgia - Rib pain, the growing baby pushes the liver and stomach up towards the diaphragm, altering the way the ribs move. If a rib is sprained it causes sharp pain across or through the chest. If the rib joints stiffen they restrict lung expansion and cause shortness of breath. This can of course be detrimental during labour
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - The hormonal changes cause water retention and swelling. The swelling can compress nerves anywhere the arms or legs but most commonly in the wrist. This causes numbness, weakness and/or pain in the wrist and fingers.
• Sprained Ankles – The hormonal changes soften the ligaments increasing the likelihood of spraining joints, most commonly ankles. We can realign the ankle and foot bones to prevent further swelling, decrease pain then rehabilitate the muscles to reduce the likelihood of further sprains.
Remember it is important to stay active during pregnancy link to Staying Active
See how chiropractic can help with labour Link to natural labour
There are many other conditions during pregnancy we can treat, if you have any questions link to contact us
