Pregnancy is filled with joy as you await the arrival of your little bundle of joy. However, that doesn’t mean pregnancy is devoid of discomfort and sometimes pain. Pregnancy is a great time to find a chiropractor to help you with some of the discomforts you may feel. Let’s take a look at some common pregnancy-related conditions that can be treated with chiropractic care.
Symphysis Pubic Disorder (SPD)
Pelvic pain is one of the most common pregnancy-related conditions. As your body prepares to give birth, the hormone relaxin is released to help loosen your muscles. However, as the pregnancy progresses, sometimes this release of relaxin may cause some uncomfortable symptoms.
Oftentimes, the result of this is symphysis pubic disorder, also known as SPD. Common symptoms of SPD include the following:
- Difficulty walking
- Wrenching pain in the pelvis area
- Pain that becomes worse as you walk
- Pain that worsens when you open your legs
- Radiating pain in the inner thigh
You may also notice that regular activities like getting in and out of the car become painful and difficult.
Getting chiropractic adjustments can help relieve this pain. Your chiropractor will make gentle adjustments to help your pelvic girdle area and help relieve this pain. A great thing about seeing a chiropractor for your pregnancy-related pain is that they will seek to treat the root cause of your pain rather than just the symptoms.
Spinal Curve Pain
When pregnant, you quickly find out that your center of gravity shifts. This change will cause your spine to move and change your posture. Your growing belly pulls your spine forward into a greater lordotic curve. This results in lower back discomfort and/or pain. Many pregnant women find this spinal curve pain limits their range of motion and their ability to perform daily tasks.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy is an excellent way to alleviate the pain associated with an increased lordotic curve. As your chiropractor works to realign your spine and joints, it will give your lower back the pain relief it needs. You may notice an improvement in your posture and feel fewer aches and pains in your back.
Round Ligament Pain
Round ligament pain is another one of the more common pregnancy-related conditions, especially in first-time pregnancies. It feels like a deep, sharp pain on either side of the region below your belly button. It often happens when you get out of bed, make a sudden movement, or over-exert yourself.
The round ligaments that connect to the uterus stretch more as your body adjusts to your growing baby. The pain associated with round ligament pain typically begins in the second trimester of pregnancy.
As your uterus grows, it is important that these ligaments grow evenly on each side so as not to pull the uterus over. If one side remains tighter during pregnancy, it may limit the mobility the baby has to get into the optimal position for birth.
When you get your pelvis adjusted by a chiropractor, it helps to ease the pain by releasing the tension. This helps restore pelvic alignment and gives you some much-needed pain relief! A Webster Certified chiropractor is also trained to release the round ligament tightness with a soft tissue technique providing much-needed relief.
Sciatic Nerve Pain
As your baby grows, it puts pressure on your pelvic bowl area. Sometimes this pressure can irritate or put pressure on your sciatic nerve. The result of this is a burning or shooting pain in the middle of the buttock that can reach down into the leg(s).
Chiropractic care seeks to realign the spine and pelvis, which often helps relieve sciatic nerve pain. These adjustments can help you get pain relief and even give your baby more room to move around. It can even help get your baby into the correct birth position.
Spinal Misalignment
While pregnant, your body releases a hormone called relaxin. Typically, this hormone is associated with symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), which we discussed in a previous section. Relaxin makes the muscles, ligaments, and joints loose in preparation for labor. While this is a great thing, it can negatively affect your spine. When the muscles of your lower back become loose, it may cause your spine to become misaligned. Oftentimes the result of this is lower back pain.
Regular chiropractic care during pregnancy will help you maintain your spinal alignment. This helps decrease lower back and hip pain.
Immune System Support
From morning sickness to sleepless nights, pregnancy can be tough on the body. This makes you more likely to catch a cold or other illnesses. While pregnant, avoiding medications is important since they pose harm to your unborn child. However, with chiropractic care, you can help support the efficiency of your immune system.
One of the benefits of chiropractic care is that it helps to rid your body of stress hormones and stimulates your lymphatic system. This makes it easier for your body to get rid of toxins in your system. When seeking a prenatal chiropractor, it is important that you look for one who is trained in the Webster Technique. This will ensure that you will receive quality care for yourself and your baby. Here at Better Day Chiropractic, we can help you navigate common pregnancy-related conditions. With us, you can feel rest assured that you are in good hands.
Contact Us
At Better Day Chiropractic, we’re dedicated to serving you throughout your pregnancy and postpartum recovery. We also offer sports, family, and pediatric chiropractic care. If you are located in Charlotte or the surrounding areas, reach out to us today.
