Everything you need to know about pregnancy and chiropractic care

Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), April 13, 2021 
Pregnancy is a beautiful and rewarding experience, but it often presents side effects that can affect your mobility and neuro-musculoskeletal health. Research suggests about 50% of pregnant women experience back and neck pain at some point before they deliver. 
Really, this is to be expected. During pregnancy, your body experiences a variety of changes that put additional stress on your spine, pelvis and lower body. Combined with the postural changes that occur due to carrying a baby, it's no wonder aches and pains are so common. Chiropractic care provides a safe, effective and drug-free approach to pain management. 
How can chiropractic care help during pregnancy? During the nine months between conception and delivery, your musculoskeletal system experiences significant duress. Some of the changes that occur include: 

• A protruding abdomen
• An increasingly curved back
• Changes to your pelvis
• Vertebral misalignments
• Muscle strains

Chiropractic care can address these and other issues through a combination of targeted pressure and manual manipulation. Working together, these treatment methods can re-establish balance, improve musculoskeletal alignment and minimize inflammation without the use of drugs.
Can chiropractic care benefit my baby? Believe it or not, the answer is yes! When your spine and pelvis are in proper alignment, labor and delivery are much easier. If your pelvis is misaligned or restricted, it can prevent your baby from rolling, tumbling or kicking in the womb, a condition known as intrauterine constraint. Without early identification and treatment, that can lead to birth defects. Source: Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. 
A misaligned or restricted pelvis can also affect the delivery process. If your baby is unable to move into the proper birthing position, it can result in a longer or more complicated delivery. Source: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 
Is chiropractic care right for me? Chiropractic care is safe and typically well-tolerated. The frequency at which you'll need to visit your provider depends on the severity of your symptoms and the benefits you receive from treatment. Following an initial consultation, your doctor of chiropractic can develop a custom care plan that assists you through each trimester of your pregnancy. 
What happens during a chiropractic care appointment? A chiropractic care appointment during pregnancy is a little different from a routine visit. Instead of lying face down, you lie on your back to accommodate your growing belly. Once you're comfortable, your doctor of chiropractic uses special, pregnancy-safe manual techniques that don't put pressure on your abdomen. From start to finish, an appointment takes about 45 minutes. 
Don't let neuro-musculoskeletal pain keep you from enjoying your pregnancy. Take action and contact a doctor of chiropractic today for natural healthcare.