Everyday, multitudes of expectant mothers are told by family, friends, and even their OB/GYN, “I’m sorry but…you’re pregnant, so your back is going to hurt. There’s nothing you can do about it.” Or worse yet, they take OTC pain medications or in more severe cases perhaps prescription painkillers, which have potentially damaging side effects.
Studies have shown that a whopping 75 to 85 percent of expectant mothers complain of low back discomfort. Mid and upper back problems and rib pain are also commonly reported due to swelling and increased weight in the breasts, widening of the ribcage and pressure on the ribs as the fetus grows. These problems add up to more sleepless nights, lost work, and increased stress on both mother and baby.
There’s no question that part of the problem is the result of natural progression of the normal pregnancy. Anytime that baby moves the mother’s pelvis and spine shift to accommodate the repositioning. More importantly, in order to make room for the rapidly growing baby, the mother’s body releases increased amounts of estrogen as well as a hormone called relaxin. The major effect of these 2 hormones is softening the ligaments that surround and stabilize the joints of the pelvis and lumbar spine. Couple this instability with additional muscular stress and increasing weight and you have a prescription for back pain.
“But how does this affect my baby?”
Well, everything Mama feels, baby feels. Increases in blood pressure, pulse, and respiration in the mother have a direct affect on the fetus. Additionally, the softening of those stabilizing tissues can result in torquing of the pelvis and misalignment, or subluxation of the sacrum and lumbar spine. This torquing causes twisting and contraction of the ligaments and muscles that attach the uterus to the body wall. In other words, torquing of the pelvis could cause the uterus to twist like a balloon, which may prevent the baby from presenting in the normal head down position.
I am going to let you in on a well-guarded secret. Just because you are pregnant does NOT mean you have to be in pain! Chiropractic adjustments have been used effectively for decades by thousands of expectant mothers to help reduce and eliminate these kinds of problems. Also, chiropractic adjustments are safe and effective from anytime after conception right up to delivery. A Study in The Journal of Manipulative Physiologic Therapeutics reported “84% of patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy reported relief of back pain during pregnancy. There was significantly less likelihood of back labor when spinal manipulative therapy was administered during pregnancy.”
The best way to find a good chiropractor? Ask someone you trust. You’ll quickly find a friend saying, “You have to go see my chiropractor!”
It’s time to invest in YOU!