BEING PREGNANT DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH BACK PAIN!
Gentle, low force treatment to help you through the discomforts associated with pregnancy
Pregnancy can be overwhelming at times. While it’s one of the greatest things to ever happen to you, your body goes through some difficult changes — like back pain, shoulder stiffness, sciatica, headaches, and pelvic problems just to name a few.
If not addressed, these conditions can have a negative impact on your lifestyle and can make your delivery much more difficult.
My name is Dr. Sadie Altringer, Chiropractic Physician at the Spinal and Sports Care Clinic in Spokane Valley, WA. By using my gentle chiropractic techniques over the past 7 years, I’ve been blessed to have helped pregnant women suffer less pain and have more comfortable pregnancies.
The stress placed on a woman’s body during pregnancy can lead to many complications that can cause discomfort or pain. In many cases, chiropractic adjustments can alleviate pregnancy pain and decrease delivery time. Chiropractic adjustments can balance a woman’s spine and pelvis for normal functioning of the muscular and nervous systems.
Is Chiropractic Safe During Pregnancy?
Anne Packard-Spicer is a faculty member specializing in pregnancy related conditions at Northwestern Health Sciences University. She states that when a woman’s pelvis is properly aligned, the uterus will be under less nerve and mechanical stress, which causes the baby to be in a more comfortable position during labor. Chiropractic adjustments can begin at any time and can continue all the way up to the day of delivery.
“Many women worry about getting adjusted while they are pregnant, but chiropractic is gentle and very safe throughout pregnancy,” says Packard- Spicer. “There is no evidence that adjustments have ever harmed a single pregnant woman or her baby. In my 12 years of experience, it is safe, gentle, and effective.”
Pregnant women who are experiencing little to no pain should seek chiropractic evaluation to assess whether they have any misalignments. Asymptomatic patients may not need to be adjusted, but should be evaluated on a regular basis during pregnancy. Additionally, women who are considering becoming pregnant should receive chiropractic evaluations three months before conceiving. Pregnant women are typically adjusted regularly for 2-3 weeks or until their pain is reduced. Occasional check-ups through pregnancy and delivery assure a comfortable pregnancy.
Pregnancy Massage
Massage therapy helps tremendously by relaxing muscle tension and improving lymphatic and blood circulation. Reduced circulation and increased pressure on major blood vessels can cause edema or swelling of the joints during pregnancy. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints, which also improves the removal of tissue waste, carried by the body’s lymph system. Massage therapy during pregnancy is not intended to replace
appropriate prenatal care. When used as a form of adjunctive health care, some of its possible benefits are:
- Reduces stress and promotes relaxation.
- Provides emotional support and physical nurturing, particularly for those who are alone in the process, either literally or by the emotional absence of the partner.
- Reduces and alleviates neck, back, and joint pain caused by posture, muscle weakness, tension, extra weight, or imbalance.
- Relieves muscle spasms, cramps, and fibrosis.
- Alleviates stress on weight-bearing joints and musculo-fascial structures (sacro-iliac joint, mid-back and lumbar spine, hips).
- Combats tension, fatigue, and headaches, soothe nerves to help with sleep problems, and possibly reduce blood pressure through relaxation and stress reduction.
- Increases blood and lymph circulation and supports the physiological process of gestation, by supporting the work of the heart, increasing cellular respiration, reducing edema, and contributing to sympathetic nervous system sedation.
- Reduces the possibility of problems with swelling, varicose veins, and leg cramps.
- Helps maintain skin elasticity to ease stretch marks and uncomfortable tightness.
- Assists with the management of digestive complaints such as constipation, gas, nausea, and indigestion.
- Encourages deeper, easier breathing.
- Enhances self-esteem and self-image, helping the pregnant woman feel more at home in her changing body.
Research Supports A Natural Approach
Chiropractic care has a long, proven track record in helping pregnant women during this constantly changing, yet delicate time. Here’s what one study had
to say about chiropractic and pregnancy…
“84% of patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy [chiropractic care] reported relief of back pain during pregnancy. There was significantly less likelihood of back labor when spinal manipulative therapy was administered during pregnancy.” — JMPT 1991
Add to this what childcare experts and authors Dr. William and Martha Sears state in their highly praised The Pregnancy Book, “chiropractic care during pregnancy can help to avoid or relieve back pain and also prepare your back and pelvic structures for the stresses of labor and birth.”
Research Supporting Reduction in Lower Back Pain
The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics collected data on 78 patients after treatment of lower back pain secondary to pregnancy by a chiropractic physician. Results showed “73% of the patients had experienced clinically significant improvement in disability and 82% patients had experienced clinically significant improvement in pain. Follow-up data for an average of 11 months after the end of treatment were collected on 61 patients and 85.5% of patients rated their improvement as either excellent or good. The study concluded the management strategy used in this study appeared to yield favorable outcomes in this patient population and appears
to be a safe option for patients with pregnancy related lumbo-pelvic pain.” (JMPT. Volume 32. Issue 8; pages 616-624. Oct. 2009)
In fact, many medical and healthcare associations recommend chiropractic care for pregnant mothers. The American Pregnancy Association said the
following about chiropractic…
Potential benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:
- Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
- Controlling symptoms of nausea
- Reducing the time of labor and delivery
- Relieving back, neck or joint pain
One Study Showed
“Chiropractic care involving spinal manipulative therapy and adjunctive therapies resulted in symptom improvement and independence from medication. With chiropractic care, the patient reported frequency of attacks from once daily to once every 5 days. The headache intensity was also reduced from a 9/10 pain rating to 2/10. The patient also indicated that self medicating at maximum allowable strength at every headache episode now occurred only occasionally or not at all.” Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Vol. 15, Iss. 4, Nov. 2009. Pg: 192-7.
Exercise During Pregnancy
Maintaining a regular exercise routine throughout your pregnancy can help you stay healthy and feel your best. Regular exercise during pregnancy can improve your posture and decrease some common discomforts such as backaches and fatigue. There is evidence that physical activity may prevent gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy), relieve stress, and build more stamina needed for labor and delivery.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per day on most if not all days of the week, unless you have a medical or pregnancy complication. Talk with your Obstetrician before beginning an exercise program. At the Spinal and Sports Care Clinic, we can also give you personal exercise guidelines, based on your medical history.
Post-Partum Exercise
Exercising after you have a baby is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It may seem like the last thing you want to do, but just think of the many benefits it can give you:
- increased energy
- helps prevent post partum depression
- improves mood
- promotes weight loss
- restores muscular strength
- improves cardiovascular health
- relieves stress
The BIG question is, “When do I start”? Depending on your delivery type this answer can vary. The best way to find out is to talk to your OB doctor about when it is safe for you to start an exercise program.
If you are a nursing mother, it is still ok to exercise. To stay comfortable while you’re exercising, nurse your baby or express milk before your workout. It also helps to wear a supportive bra. To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids during and after your workout. When you have decided to start exercising, the next step is deciding what to do. Start simple and work your way into a more intense program. Start with 15-30 minutes a day of low impact aerobic activity which can include the elliptical, walking, swimming laps, and/ or biking on a reclined bike.
Meet the Doctor
Sadie Altringer (Dr. Sadie) is a Chiropractic Physician with the Spinal and Sports Care Clinic, with her primary focus of care on pregnancy related conditions. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Hamline University and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN. Dr. Sadie works closely with Valley OB, Spokane OB, and Rockwood OB Clinics to help their patients receive the best care during their pregnancy and post partum. Her goal is to provide an individualized treatment program to help each patient reach optimal health through chiropractic care.
To Talk to a Doctor or Schedule and Appointment, call
509-922-0303
Email us with any Questions
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Spinal and Sports Care Clinic
12905 E Sprague Ave.
Spokane Valley, WA 99216-0731
www.spinalandsportscare.com
