How Chiropractic Care Helps With Pregnancy

A lot of expecting mothers complain about low back or pelvis pain. The discomfort could range from a subtle niggle to sharp, shooting pain that travels down the legs. Others have trouble sleeping and difficulty lifting things or walking upstairs. Many pregnant women also experience pain that gets worse by movement. Are you looking for safe, natural alternatives to get relief from these aches and pains? Here are some ways chiropractic care can help.

5 Common Conditions Your Chiropractor Can Treat

Your weight and posture change as your baby develops. Your ligaments relax as your body prepares for childbirth. However, these normal processes put additional strain and tension on your joints and other support structures on your spine and pelvis. These changes lead to pain and discomfort. Your spinal and pelvic stability decreases as internal pressure builds up from your baby, taking up more space. Pre-existing dysfunctions could also aggravate the discomfort.

Low Back Pain. This occurs due to increased stress on your lumbar spine. Your center of gravity shifts, causing compensatory muscle tightness and modified gait patterns. The discomfort can range from mild to severe, depending on your activity level.

Sciatic Nerve Pain. Your growing uterus and increased pressure from fluid retention can cause pain in your sciatic nerve. It’s the largest nerve in your body and runs from your lower back down to your feet. Pregnancy can compress and agitate this nerve, causing intermittent or constant pain. Sciatic nerve pain can occur during your second and third trimesters.

Sacroiliac Joint Pain. Another common discomfort that women experience during pregnancy is sacroiliac joint pain. The sacroiliac joints are found between the lowermost part of the spine and the hipbone’s uppermost region. The dysfunction of the sacroiliac joints causes a dull or stabbing pain in the area. It can also spread to the buttocks down to the thighs.

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). Also known as pelvic girdle pain, SPD occurs when your ligaments become too relaxed before delivery. The symphysis pubis or pelvic joint becomes unstable, resulting in some strange sensations, such as pelvic pain. The culprit behind this condition is a hormone known as relaxin. Their role is to make your ligaments stretchy. This way, it would be easy for you to deliver your baby. But the hormonal change can loosen the ligaments way before your baby is ready to come out. This leads to movement and pain in your pelvic joints.

Round Ligament Pain. Many women also suffer from sharp, shooting pain in their abdomen or hip regions. The discomfort can occur on one side or both and may even spread into the groin area. This condition is known as round ligament pain, which often occurs during the second trimester. The round ligaments serve to support your uterus. Its front part connects to the groin area. The round ligaments slowly contract and relax muscles and stretches during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is an exciting and challenging time of tremendous physical and emotional changes for any woman. Chiropractic medicine can help make your adjustment easier and with less pain. Are you looking for ways to improve your posture or ease painful symptoms from your pregnancy? Perhaps you want to maintain your overall health and benefit from the easy labor and birthing process.

At Cooper Chiropractic & Wellness Center, we can help provide you with a safe, effective form of prenatal, delivery, and post-natal care. Call our office today in New York, New York, to schedule your consultation.