Pregnancy Chiropractic Care in Chicago
More and more health care providers are referring their patients to see a chiropractor while pregnant for chiropractic care. It’s easy to see why. Your entire body is changing to accommodate another growing person and deliver them safely when it’s time. These endocrine and physiological changes put huge a strain on your spine, pelvis, and joints. Because of all the changes occurring, seeing a pregnancy chiropractor is best because there is no other time when you need your nervous system functioning at peak capacity. Subluxation- or misalignment- of the spine prevents your nervous system from doing its job, worsening symptoms of nausea and leading to that lower back pain that is so common in mothers to be.
That adorable bump in front of you will be your child soon. It’s also getting heavy. That extra weight can shift your body’s center of gravity up and forward, affecting your posture and gait. Even the slightest irregularity in the way you walk can lead to a major misalignment of your pelvis and spine. To be as comfortable as possible during your pregnancy, labor, delivery and post-partum period, your Chiropractor will monitor several things.
At Advanced Spine & Sports Care, we provide chiropractic care for every member of the family and support you during the most critical times in your life. Our trained chiropractors can provide you with essential relief from pain during pregnancy and then treat your little one in the first year to help them develop with a healthy and robust spine.
Uncomfortable pressure and pain during pregnancy can be a constant part of pregnancy, but it doesn't have to be. Book an appointment at Advanced Spine & Sports Care today and see for yourself how we can help make this incredible time of your life more comfortable so that you can enjoy every second.
That adorable bump in front of you will be your child soon. It’s also getting heavy. That extra weight can shift your body’s center of gravity up and forward, affecting your posture and gait. Even the slightest irregularity in the way you walk can lead to a major misalignment of your pelvis and spine. To be as comfortable as possible during your pregnancy, labor, delivery and post-partum period, your Chiropractor will monitor several things.
First, it’s essential your pelvis is balanced during its own metamorphosis in the months leading up to birth. Like many, you may not be aware that there are actually joints in your pelvis! The joint in front is called the symphosis pubis while the joints in back (near your tailbone) are called the sacro iliac joints. Pregnancy hormones are excreted to soften and relax the ligaments allowing those joints to loosen and open. This provides space for the baby to grow and eventually move through your birth canal. In the later months of pregnancy, those muscles usually get pretty strained and tight, leading to discomfort and lower back aches. Your Chiropractor uses a special adjustment called the Webster Technique to relieve the strain, restore function to any formerly blocked nerves, and to allow your baby to optimally position his/herself.
Your Chiropractor will also ensure that the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of your spine are optimally aligned. (That's the neck, upper torso, and lower back respectively.) She'll use special, targeted methods of adjustment that avoid putting too much pressure on your abdomen. An optimally aligned spine ensures that your brain is effectively communicating with the rest of your body and functioning correctly. Misalignment of your atlas (the vertebra at the very top of your spine) can worsen dizziness, insomnia, nausea, and headaches. It can also cause a head tilt, which slowly leads to a cascade of subluxations down your spine as your body compensates. Correcting pre-existing subluxations also remains of the utmost importance, as you need your nervous system functioning as best as possible.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
You’ll go through a number of endocrinological and physiological changes during pregnancy that can affect the position of your spine and joints. These changes can result in several problems occurring, preventing your body from working as effectively as it could be.As an expecting mother, you desire the very best for your baby, which is something that you can start preparing for long before you welcome them into the world. Chiropractic care during pregnancy helps to realign the spine and reduce the risk of an invasive birth, ensuring that the nervous system is operating correctly. A chiropractor will make sure that your pelvis is in alignment, so there’s enough space for your baby to move naturally, develop properly, and reduce the risk of them moving into a non-optimal position.
Alongside improving the likelihood of natural birth and decreasing the amount of time you’re in labor, there are numerous potential benefits of visiting a chiropractor while pregnant. Chiropractic care can help to reduce instances of back and neck pain, giving you much-needed relief when you have more important things to focus on. Visiting a chiropractor may even help to control your nausea during pregnancy, which may come as very pleasant news. Overall, chiropractic treatment during pregnancy is tailored towards helping women have a healthier pregnancy, from the early stages to the moment they meet the newest member of their family for the first time.
Chiropractic Care and Pregnancy Sciatica
Sciatica is a pain that can take many forms; the pain can be sharp, burning or shooting, and constant or occasional. The pain radiates from the lower spine to the bottom of the foot and is the result of the sciatic nerve becoming irritated or compressed. There are many causes of sciatica in pregnancy where posture changes, and the extra weight of carrying a baby can lead to nerve irritation.
In some instances, sciatica pain is exceptionally severe and becomes very difficult to live with, which can be especially troubling during pregnancy when you’re also experiencing other symptoms. Thankfully, if you suffer from sciatica during pregnancy, there are many effective treatments available, including chiropractic care.
Chiropractic care is one of the most popular treatments for sciatica. During a session, your chiropractor will realign your vertebrae, relieving the compression and your pain along with it. You may need to book a few sessions during your pregnancy to maintain the results as your posture continues to change, but between sessions, you’ll be relieved of the numbness and mobility problems that are common with this type of pain.
How Safe is Chiropractic Treatment During Pregnancy?
Understandably, you want to make sure that any treatment you have during your pregnancy is 100% safe for you and your baby, especially if you’re new to chiropractic care. Overall, chiropractic care is generally considered to be perfectly safe during every stage of a pregnancy and has many incredible benefits that make it highly worthwhile.
However, there are some instances where chiropractic care may not be advised during pregnancy, such as when the woman has vaginal bleeding, placenta previa, cramping, toxemia, or placenta abruption. When you visit Advanced Spine & Sports Care, you’ll have a chance to talk to a chiropractor and discuss your pregnancy in detail before undertaking any treatment. We’ll make sure that chiropractic care is a safe option for you and that all treatments are personalized to your unique needs.
While chiropractic care may be safe during pregnancy, it’s still of the utmost importance to choose a highly experienced chiropractor who has an in-depth knowledge of working with pregnant women. A chiropractor trained in treating pregnant women will know precisely how much pressure to use during treatment and which exercises to suggest, ultimately ensuring that you receive the safest and most beneficial treatment possible.