chiropractic and pregnancy

Are chiropractic adjustments safe during pregnancy Well, first off, yes it is a smart decision to get adjusted while you are pregnant. You've probably noticed that, your body is going through a variety of changes, and these changes 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, despite the fact that its function is to assist the mother during labor, can create a lot of back pain in the months leading up to the birth. The elastin is being released in greater amounts as the months go on, which allows the pelvis to become increasingly more unstable. Add to that the gradual increase in the size of the baby and uterus, and you have the ingredients for severe low back pain. As an Oxnard 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.

One side benefit of having your spine and pelvis checked by a chiropractor regularly during your pregnancy is that it has been shown to actually decrease labor time. Why is that you ask? 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.

To answer the second question from the introductory paragraph, yes chiropractic care during your pregnancy is safe. Not only can chiropractic help you with your low back pain and other associated symptoms, such as heartburn, nausea, swelling, etc., but it is safe to both you and your baby. Certain trained chiropractors can also help mothers who have 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. A simple Google search on the Webster Technique can give you much more information.

To summarize, chiropractic is both beneficial and safe in helping to relieve many of the discomforts of pregnancy. If you are pregnant, I highly recommend that you go to see a good local chiropractor, or if you are close enough, look up your Oxnard Chiropractor. We can make you feel a lot more comfortable during your pregnancy, and we can even make the labor process easier.

Tags: Oxnard Chiropractor, Webster Technique, low back pain, Health, pregnancy, Heartburn