Bump Up Your Comfort: Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy!
How is chiropractic different during pregnancy?
Chiropractic care during pregnancy is so much fun. It’s ever changing in the sense that as momma is changing, so is our treatment and recommendations. We use a variety of specially made pillows to help support mom’s growing belly and chest as well as to keep her at a slight angle when laying on her back to do belly work. During pregnancy, we perform more muscle work to help reduce tension caused by changes in biomechanics/ center of gravity and the adjustments themselves are much more gentle. Once moms start to show, we transition from adjusting their low backs while laying on their side to on their bellies (there’s a wonderful pillow to support the abdomen (as seen in the photo above) and we use a gentle drop on the hips instead. This is to prevent any unnecessary twisting of the abdomen. It’s one thing to move through full ranges of motion in everyday life during pregnancy, but we try to avoid adding addition pressure with our dropping or pushing through the low back during this time. We are also addressing specific pregnancy concerns which we’ll dive into with greater detail when we speak about Webster Technique later.
Why see a chiro during pregnancy?
Seeing a chiro during pregnancy helps to not only regulate the nervous system and reduce common pregnancy aches and pains, but we can indirectly help with malpositioning by addressing issues within the pelvis. This will be addressed in greater detail in “What is Webster Technique”. We commonly treat pelvic girdle pain (sacroiliac joint pain and Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction), hip pain, mid back pain, headaches, carpal tunnel, jaw tension and SO much more. We help by not only adjusting, but also by recommending stability work such as strengthening exercises and muscle work that mommas can perform at home.
What is the round ligament and why can it be painful?
The round ligament runs from the uterus to the labia. It’s task is to hold the uterus in a specific position during pregnancy. The reason this little guy can be the cause of discomfort during pregnancy is because it is one of the few ligaments that contains muscle fibers and has the ability to contract and stretch. It increases in both diameter and length during pregnancy and can cause discomfort as the uterus begins to grow. Discomfort is especially common with quick movements such as going from seated to standing, changing direction quickly or even just turning over in bed at night. We work on this particular ligament with a very light pressure and perform muscle work in surrounding areas to help relieve/reduce pain and discomfort. When this ligament is more taught on one side than the other it can affect tension within the uterus. This is important to look at (along with the pelvis as a whole) when addressing pelvic balance for the birth process and positioning of little one!
What is the sacrotuberous ligament and why are you poking at it?
The sacrotuberous ligament is a ligament that runs from your tailbone to your “sit bones” on either side. The reason this is such an important ligament to look at is because of it’s pull on the tailbone (sacrum) and its effect on the all important pelvic floor muscles. This is a very common area to have asymmetrical (one side more than the other) tension for people who have had falls on their tail bones in the past. Even and especially, if it was YEARS ago. This can play a HUGE roll in how the muscles of the pelvic floor are coordinating and even the degree of tone they are holding (too tight or weak). Why is this important? Because it can then play a part in how the pelvis is positioned and the pull/ position on the uterus (your baby’s home).
Can abdominal tension really cause issues with the position of my baby?
It’s not super uncommon for women to be what we call “ab clenchers.” We live in a society where we tend to hold in our stomachs, constantly. This constant tension along with any asymmetries from side to side (from how we sit or sleep, sports we’ve played, previous injuries, etc.) can cause tension within the abdomen. If there’s tension, it can simply be more difficult for little one to move around. We work on this through teaching mom good breathing techniques to help everything expand, specific belly massage techniques, exercises and more to reduce any unwanted tension.
What is Webster Technique? Does it work? How many times do I need to be seen? How early should I start Webster? How far along will it work?
Webster Technique is a specific certification and way of adjusting designed to help align the pelvis. Specific muscle work and releases are also involved to help reduce tension and optimize uterine space. This can then allow a breech or transverse baby to go head down. To reiterate, we are not changing the position of the baby. We are reducing tension within the pelvis to allow for more free movement of the little one. Research suggests an 80% success rate with Webster Technique and is ideally performed in weeks 34-37. Depending on the degree of tension in the pelvis and your individual history, we recommend to be seen 2-4 times if the goal is specifically to help with positioning. Otherwise, for mommas that are seeing us throughout their pregnancy, this is something we do every visit to try to optimize space from the get go.
Are there any exercises I can do to help turn baby?
Check out Spinning Babies for some tried and true exercises as well as a whole host of great info! As always, check with your provider to make sure that these exercises are right for you. Our providers are always ready with exercises that are more specific to your body, schedule an appointment today online or by calling or texting our office at (720) 403-8255.
Read more about the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy here!
XO, The Well Spine Team
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