Introduction to prenatal care

Prenatal Chiropractic care can be a wonderful supportive health care modality during pregnancy. And you may be asking yourself – How can chiropractic help me during my pregnancy? 

Well, look no further… In this blog, we will walk you through some of the important things you should know about prenatal chiropractic care.

How can chiropractic care help during pregnancy?

Chiropractic can help during pregnancy by addressing the underlying causes of pregnancy related pain in the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Chiropractors are 5 year University trained practitioners who have extensive knowledge of the pelvis and spine and have treatment techniques to provide relief, support function and improve movement in women who are pregnant. We also have a unique approach as we treat our patients as a whole human and don’t just look at one body part.

For example, a really sore lower back in pregnancy may not be caused by the lower back itself, but could be something going on with the foot or a weak hip muscle. It could even be the patient’s breathing pattern.

Why do so many women seek chiropractic care during pregnancy?

Let’s be honest. Women can get VERY SORE when pregnant. Pregnancy is a huge undertaking for a woman’s body.  Many changes will take place in order to grow a baby and prepare for childbirth and breastfeeding.  It is a truly unique time and can lead to some very unique and very painful issues. 

Postural Changes may take place due to the expansion of the uterus and increased weight distribution to the tummy. This can cause:

• Increased lumbar curve
• Higher hinge point in the spine
• Anterior pelvic tilt
• Forward head posture
• Rib flaring 
• Weakness in the abdominal muscles

These changes can lead to new stressors placed on the pelvis, lower back, hips, neck, shoulders and other areas.  Leading to pain and discomfort. 

Hormones can drive ligament relaxation which can also cause stability issues which can give rise to pain. Changes in the breast tissue can put new stress on the upper back and shoulders. 

Increased tension in the pelvic floor and changes to a women’s breathing pattern during pregnancy can also relate directly to jaw function and can cause an increase in TMJ pain, teeth grinding and poor breathing pattern in sleep.  This can lead to headaches, jaw pain and a sore neck in pregnancy.

It’s also quite common to see an old injury or an unnoticed imbalance in the body rear its head during pregnancy, as it can be more difficult to compensate for poor function whilst pregnant and this can lead to pain.

Many women are also continuing their work right until the late stages of pregnancy which can also cause different stress.  For example a desk worker or someone who drives a lot may experience lower back pain due to being in a seated position for lengthy periods. Or someone who has to walk a lot for work may experience terrible hip pain and pubic symphysis pain due to poor stability and shearing forces through their pelvis.

Often a big motivation for women in pregnancy is to sort out their underlying issues in order to prepare their pelvis for birth. There is no need to put up with an underlying issue in the lower back, pelvis or hips which may make it harder for your baby to pass through the pelvis or may cause you more difficulty during your pregnancy and labour.  You don’t have to put up with it.  There are things you can do to help.  Who wants to be worrying about a sore hip when they are giving birth or learning to feed their baby?

What conditions can chiropractic help with during pregnancy?

Chiropractic can help with many different issues that arise during pregnancy. Here’s a little list of what we commonly treat in practice:

• Pregnancy related low back pain
• Pelvic girdle pain
• Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD)
• Upper back pain
• Tight shoulders
• Pins and needles in the hands or feet
• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Sinus pain
• Hip pain (especially when laying on your side at night)

Can chiropractic help me have a better birth?

The answer is MAYBE. It of course depends on how someone defines a “better birth.”

Chiropractic can play an important role in improving movement of the spine and pelvis as well as addressing underlying pain. Through treatments and specific exercises. This approach can in turn help a woman prepare for labour or c-section by resolving an underlying issue as well as helping her to improve her range of movement and function and to be able to optimise her own maternal positioning. It could be likened to training for a marathon for the first time, you want to sort out all your niggles and strains before the big day.

What chiropractic techniques are used during pregnancy?

There are some great chiropractic treatments in our practitioner toolbox that may be used in pregnancy and these might also depend on the goals and needs of the patient. One patient may be very interested in prenatal spinal alignment and improving pelvic biomechanics, whereas another may be very focused on back pain relief during pregnancy.

Treatments Can include:

Hands on treatment:

• Webster Technique
• Adjustments
• Mobilisations
• Muscle work
• Ligament work
• Stretching

Exercised Based Treatment:

• Specific pregnancy rehab exercises
• Breathing and diaphragm training

Ergonomic and Lifestyle Advice:

• Sleep positions and support
• Work station set up
• Car set up
• Ideas for home exercise unique to the patient
• Support garments
• And more!

Is chiropractic safe during pregnancy?

Each pregnant patient has a very unique set of circumstances and needs. Treatment type and approach is very carefully considered for each individual, their unique health history as well as their stage of pregnancy.

Some treatment options may be perfectly fine for one patient, but for another would be contraindicated and therefore not used.

It is with utmost care we choose treatments with our patient and their baby in mind and minimise risk. Particularly focusing on supporting a woman’s pregnant body and protecting their growing baby. We often use certain postures, positions and supports to achieve this. Chiropractic treatments for pregnant patients often require more of a stabilising approach, low force and high specificity.

Chiropractic is considered a safe health care modality; especially when a patient’s full health history is considered when providing care and informed consent is given.

Dr. Amanda O’Doherty

Hi, I’m Amanda. Chiropractor, mum, human body nerd, keen walker (with stroller of course) and social butterfly. I work with mothers and babies to help with underlying musculoskeletal issues of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding; so that mothers can gain confidence in their body for their birthing and breastfeeding journey.