At our chiropractic clinic in downtown Toronto we have many women ask us if it is safe to continue to get chiropractic adjustments while you are pregnant. In a nutshell, yes it is very safe to get adjusted while you are pregnant. There are some potential risks and certain chiropractic adjustments may need changed to make it safe and effective for you and your baby. It is always best to talk to your chiropractor when you become pregnant so they can assess any potential risks, but for the most part it is very safe to get adjusted while you are pregnant.
There are often many benefits that women notice while they receive chiropractic adjustments during their pregnancy.
Many pregnant women suffer from low back pain, mid back pain, neck pain and overall tension and tightness as they progress through their pregnancy. When you go through pregnancy your body goes through some dramatic transformations in a relatively short period of time. For a normal pregnancy you should be gaining between 25lbs and 35lbs. The average weight of a woman in Canada is approximately 155lbs. This means that in less than 40weeks you can 16-22% of your existing bodyweight. That is a huge percentage in a short period of time! It is a lot of change that your body tries to adapt to and often cannot change quick enough. This is where the back pain and tension comes into place. It is your body trying to adapt to a large weight gain in a short period of time. This can cause extra strain and pressure onto your spine and the delicate nerves that the spine protects. Once you apply pressure onto the nerves in your spine, your body tenses up to protect you from putting more pressure onto the nerves. In a big picture sense, you have to remember that the nervous system controls EVERYTHING in your body, including everything necessary for a healthy pregnancy. The alignment in your spine changes dramatically during all this weight gain and can cause even further pressure onto the spinal nerves and cause even more discomfort.
Postural imbalances also occur as many women sleep only on one side during their pregnancy to help keep the baby safe. This often causes extra pressure and discomfort in the hips, shoulder pain, mid back pain and even neck pain. Chiropractic adjustments correct these postural imbalances along with any misalignments that are causing the discomfort.
As the baby grows in size, this pushes up onto the diaphragm and can cause difficulty breathing for the mother. In our chiropractic clinic in downtown Toronto we have found that adjustments to the ribcage help to open up the woman’s breathing and allows her ribcage to expand further, making breathing much more difficult.
Another technique that we utilize in our office is Webster Technique. This is a wonderful and safe chiropractic technique that can help turn babies who are breach. The earlier we can start Webster technique, the easier it becomes to help turn the baby. As the pregnancy progresses, the baby continues to grow and can become harder and harder to turn, this is because there is less space for the baby to actually turn around in.
Another huge benefit of getting adjusted during your pregnancy is that our patients report back that their delivery is much easier that they were expecting. This is for a few reasons, one, the woman has been taking very good care of their spine and there is less tension and mobility in the spine which will allow her to push with greater ease. Adjustments to the pelvis keep the spine in proper alignment and help to keep the joints moving well. When your body releases oxytocin during the labour process, it helps the joints in the pelvis to loosen, this allows for a larger birth canal for the baby to come out. Joints that are subluxated don’t move as well and can be harder to release. Chiropractic adjustments allow oxytocin the best chance to open the joints up to allow for an easier delivery.
If you have any questions about chiropractic care during pregnancy, please feel free to send me an email. If you are looking for a chiropractor in Toronto to help you during your pregnancy, please feel free to give us a call or send me an email and I will be happy to help you out.
