Pain During Pregnancy

pain during pregnancyWhile not all pain during pregnancy is something chiropractors can help with, there are plenty of pregnant moms-to-be that enter our office seeking pain relief that is best helped with chiropractic care.

Neck and Upper Back Pain

This happens for many people from just sitting at the computer for extended periods of time. With pregnant patients, they are rarely comfortable sitting in any traditional office chairs (or anything for that matter).

This awkward posture and poor ergonomics tends to lead to bad posture, which increases strain on the neck and upper back areas. It also may lead to pain between the shoulder blades from reaching further for the keyboard & mouse.

Low Back Pain

Let’s face it, there’s a baby in there! That baby is rapidly growing and moving around. This can and does alter your body mechanics during sitting, sleeping, and just walking around. This extra strain on the front of the body often requires more work and effort from the low back during normal daily activities.

While your chiropractic doctor can’t “fix” anything while you’re waiting on your bundle of joy, they can certainly provide a lot of relief. A combination of massages and chiropractic adjustments goes a long way in alleviating the ongoing low back soreness and stiffness that prevents you from getting through your day pain-free.

Sciatica

One of the more painful conditions pregnant patients experience frequently is sciatic pain. That’s pain that likely will originate from the low back, then radiate down the back of the thigh and possibly into the lower leg.

This can happen when pressure is put on the sacroiliac joints (your pelvis) by your growing child. That pressure combined with your new posture mechanics and movements can result in the pelvis shifting out of place and affecting that large sciatic nerve in the area.

In all of these cases, your chiropractic doctor will do a consultation and examination prior to starting any treatment. We will not typically do any x-ray examinations when you’re pregnant, so we can modify the types of adjustments you get until a x-ray exam can be completed at a later date.

In our office, we also have specialized adjusting tables that will allow you to lay face down (there’s room for your belly!) and allow us to do safe and gentle adjustments that don’t require any twisting. This method also keeps the amount of movement you have to do to a minimum during your treatment.

We’re here to help you get out of pain and help you stay that way – even if we have to wait until your post-partum adjustment to do more than just pain relief. For more tips from the American Chiropractic Association,