During the course of a pregnancy, a woman's body drastically changes. A healthy pregnancy involves a weight gain of 25 to 40 pounds in a relatively short period of time. The weight of the baby shifts the woman's center of gravity forward and pulls her spine out of alignment. Hormones also surge in anticipation of the marathon of labor. Elastin and relaxin in particular help a woman's joints spread and increase flexibility. Occasionally this causes back and pelvic pain. Chiropractic care may remedy the situation, but pregnant women should always speak with their doctors or midwives before seeking any complementary treatment. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, does not have an official statement on chiropractic care.
Chiropractics Defined
Chiropractic care is based on the theory that subluxations, or misalignments, occur in the spine, negatively affecting the musculoskeletal and nervous systems' ability to function. In terms of pregnancy, a subluxation may affect both mother and baby.
Treatment
A chiropractor typically sees prenatal patients once a month during the first two trimesters. If a woman has severe back or pelvic pain, she may schedule more appointments. Treatments increase to biweekly in the third trimester and weekly in the last month. Appointments last approximately 30 minutes. Chiropractors use less force with prenatal patients than they do with regular adult patients.
Benefits
Chiropractic care eases pregnancy-associated aches and pains and aids in the proper positioning of the baby. Midwifery Today says chiropractic care can decrease a woman's chances of a traumatic birth and injury to her baby's cranium, spine and nervous system. The chiropractic newsletter "For Your Health" reports that women who receive prenatal chiropractic care report less morning sickness and shorter labors. They are also at less risk for shoulder dystocia, a life-threatening situation in which the baby's shoulders get stuck behind the mother's cervix after the head has delivered.
The Webster Technique
The Webster Technique is a chiropractic method used to turn breech babies into the proper head-down position before birth. Treatments are weekly at first, beginning around 32 weeks when there is less room for the baby to turn around on its own. If the baby is still breech as the due date approaches, treatments are daily. Ideally the baby turns before birth, but chiropractors will treat women in labor. Chiropractic Research Reports that the Webster Technique is 92 percent effective at turning babies.
Warning
A woman considering chiropractic care as a complement to her prenatal care should carefully examine the credentials of potential chiropractors. The APA advises pregnant women to seek treatment only from those who specialize in prenatal care, meaning they have DACCP, CACCP, ICPA or Webster Certified after their name.
References
- Midwifery Today: Midwifery and Chiropractic
- American Pregnancy Association: Pregnancy and Chiropractic Care
- Pathways: Chiropractic Care for an Easier Pregnancy and Safer Birth
- To Your Health: Pregnancy Do's and Don't's
- Chiropractic Research: Chiropractic Technique Helps Turn Breech Babies During Pregnancy
