Chiropractor for Pregnancy in Macomb, MI
During pregnancy, the mother’s body goes through a lot of physical and hormonal changes in a short nine-month period. As the baby grows, changes occur to the mother’s spine and posture. The additional weight shifts toward the front of the body causing stress and stretching to muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves in the back and gluteal areas. This new weight distribution increases the curve in the lower back causing pain and instability. Lower back pain and pelvic pain tend to begin towards the end of the second trimester due to the growth in the size of the baby.
As you get closer to your due date your body will release a hormone called relaxin to allow your pelvis to accommodate the birthing process. This hormone loosens ligaments which ultimately causes instability and pain in your joints, specifically your sacroiliac joints. Working with your prenatal chiropractor early on in your pregnancy will help you to adapt more quickly to the changes occurring in your body and manage your aches and pains before they get worse. We use gentle and effective techniques to help support your body as much as we can.
Women that receive chiropractic care during their pregnancy have shorter labor times, a more comfortable pregnancy, and ideal positioning of the baby for the birth. Chiropractic care is a drug-free, natural solution to your pregnancy plan and a chiropractor can be an invaluable member of your birth team. Using natural health care during your pregnancy helps you to support your body and avoid medications.
How We Treat Pregnant Moms In Macomb, MI
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
On your first prenatal chiropractic exam, you will go over a detailed case history with Dr. Sibyl. This is to gather all the necessary information to better assist you with your treatment plan to obtain the best results. A neurological thermal scan will be performed to determine the function of your spinal nerves at each level. Dr. Sibyl will perform the necessary orthopedic, neurological, and palpatory exams to determine the cause of your issues. On your second visit, Dr. Sibyl will go over your exam findings and present a personalized care plan unique to you.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Macomb, MI
The main focus of a chiropractic adjustment is to decrease pressure and stress on the spinal nerves. This pressure prevents the body from effectively communicating with the brain. Nerves control and coordinate every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. This nerve supply then feeds into your baby’s nervous system as well. When the nerves are all functioning properly, true health is obtained. During pregnancy, special techniques are used during the chiropractic adjustment to accommodate your growing belly. We focus on the health of the mother’s body and the baby’s positioning. Ensuring the pelvis area is properly aligned and moving well, allows the baby to have the space it needs to be in the most ideal position for the birth.
Webster Technique
An imbalance in your pelvis can affect your, and your baby’s, comfort level. If your pelvis isn’t balanced, your labor progression can be affected. It also adversely affects the nerves around your uterus and pelvic structure and can hinder your baby’s ability to be optimally positioned for birth. These are the very causes of dystocia – or difficult, stalled labor.
The Webster Technique helps achieve a state of balance in the pelvis that may contribute to a safer, easier birth outcome. This technique involves a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of pelvic imbalance.
Massage Therapy and/or Soft Tissue Work
Prenatal massages are a great addition to chiropractic adjustments. At Bence Chiropractic Wellness Center, we have an amazing massage therapist on staff that specializes in prenatal massage. Massage is a great way to loosen tight muscles, especially the psoas muscle, allowing the spine to move properly.
As your pelvis and lower back change, it’s important to address any muscles that are being pulled or shortened. The body is compensating for added weight and abnormal spinal structure. Muscle work can help relieve pain and support healthy structure and range of motion.
We take extra care to ensure the comfort of the mother during prenatal massage. You will lay on your side, propped up with pillows for comfort. Beyond pain relief, massage can help improve sleep and decrease anxiety by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Common Causes of Pregnancy Pain in Macomb, MI
Low Back Pain
Because of extreme physiological changes taking place in the mother’s body, low back pain during pregnancy is very common. Weight gain alters the normal weight distribution adding stress to the muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, and nerves. This can change a woman’s posture and cause muscle separation and abnormal pressure on the spine. Not to mention the hormonal changes that affect physiology and the natural stress of pregnancy.
Many people think that pain requires bed rest when really the opposite is true. Movement preserves flexibility and range of motion and keeps the spine and spinal discs healthy. Exercise during pregnancy is a great way to maintain posture, combat muscle weakness and imbalances, and release stress. Massage, alternating hot and cold, and stretching are other great ways to combat pain. They all pale in comparison to chiropractic adjustments while pregnant. The adjustment is a chiropractor’s most powerful tool to identify nerve interference, remove it, and restore effective communication between the brain and the body to ensure the proper development of the growing baby.
Pelvic Pain
During pregnancy, ligaments are stretching, hormone levels are changing, and organs are moving around to make room for a growing uterus. The pelvis can often be affected by these changes. Changes to the curve of the spine can cause the pelvis to compensate and hormonal changes loosen the ligaments causing instability and pain.
Pelvic pain can be the result of symphysis pubis disorder (SPD), accommodation pain, round ligament pain, diastasis recti, pressure from baby’s weight, ovarian cysts, Braxton Hicks contractions, UTI, constipation, and vulvodynia. Chiropractic adjustments can help restore balance to the pelvis and help to strengthen the stabilizing muscles to ensure proper structure.
It is important to know the difference between pain that is a warning sign of something more serious and pain from the normal physiological changes that are going on in your body. Let your prenatal chiropractor know if there are any changes in your pain level and presentation.
Headaches
39% of women have pregnancy or postpartum headaches. The most common types of pregnancy headaches are tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches. During the first trimester, headaches are caused by hormonal changes, higher blood volume, weight changes, dehydration, nausea, stress, lack of sleep, caffeine withdrawal, poor nutrition, low blood sugar levels, not enough physical activity, sensitivity to light, and vision changes. In the second and third trimesters, headaches are caused by extra weight, poor posture, not enough sleep, diet, muscle strain and tightness, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Symphysis Pubis Disorder (SPD)
60% of women experience pain in the symphysis pubis and most of the time this pain is debilitating. Beginning at the sixth week of pregnancy the body begins to release the hormone relaxin. Relaxin relaxes ligaments to increase the range of motion in the joints to assist in childbirth. This relaxation also leads to instability and pain. Weak pelvic floor muscles, or a prior injury to pelvic structures, increase the risk of SPD. Chiropractors use an activator to gently adjust the pubic symphysis area, aligning pelvic structures to improve function and reduce pain.
Round Ligament Pain
10-30% of pregnant women experience round ligament pain during the first and second trimesters. During pregnancy, the round ligament is stretched way beyond its normal size. Tension in one of the ligaments can cause an imbalance in the uterus shape, creating a smaller space for the baby.
As the round ligament stretches and tightens, pregnant women experience “growing pains”. These achy or crampy, sharp or stabbing pains can be felt when changing positions, coughing, sneezing, laughing, walking, or exercising. Dr. Sibyl specializes in The Webster Technique which gently addresses the round ligament to relieve pressure. She’ll also create a personalized exercise plan to relieve round ligament pain at home.
Breech Baby
The proper position of a baby to be born is head down and facing towards the back of your body. This position is ideal for the biomechanics of birth. A breech birth, when the baby’s feet or buttocks are positioned to be first through the birth canal, can be caused by round ligament tension, stress, pelvic misalignment, and poor biomechanics of the structures within the pelvic region.
The Webster Technique focuses on allowing the pelvic region to move properly, making sure there is no interference in that area to allow the most space possible for the baby to move around. Along with the chiropractic adjustments, other stretches and exercises are given to help support the baby’s proper positioning for birth.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve is the largest in the human body, running from the lower back down both legs. When the sciatic nerve becomes compressed or irritated it can send debilitating pain shooting through the buttocks and down into the leg. Weight gain, increased fluid retention, an expanding uterus, a shifting center of gravity, a herniated or bulged disc are all possible ways the sciatic nerve can become irritated or inflamed. Not to mention the baby’s head resting on the nerve.
During pregnancy, the gluteal muscles tend to get very tight as the mother’s weight shifts to the front of her body. Tight gluteal muscles can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, affecting its function. Dr. Sibyl works on the gluteal region in pregnant moms to help relieve tension on the sciatic nerve. She also provides moms with exercises to do at home for continued care.
Nausea
Starting around weeks 6-9 until weeks 12-16, the infamous “morning sickness” is not just confined to mornings. The pregnancy hormone HCG and increased levels of estrogen and progesterone are primary factors to the increased frequency of nauseous in pregnant women. A sharper sense of smell, heartburn, GERD, and excess saliva can also contribute. Nausea is especially common among women with excessive hormone levels, a sensitive brain or stomach, stress, and fatigue, as well as first-time pregnant women.
In addition to eliminating offensive smells, resting and de-stressing, and taking prenatal vitamins at night instead of the morning, chiropractic adjustments help to optimize the nervous system to ensure that every other system in the body is functioning properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chiropractic safe during pregnancy?
Can you go to the chiropractor in the first trimester?
When does low back pain start in pregnancy?
How do you relieve pelvic pain during pregnancy?
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