Last week I looked at some research papers that showed how Chiropractic care was able to help couples who were having trouble conceiving. This week I found a bunch of articles that show how to help soon to be moms with one of the most common issues experienced during pregnancy, low back pain.
When you look at what the woman’s body is going through during pregnancy it is no surprise low back and pelvic pain is one of the most common complaints during pregnancy.
The first thing that is happening is just the increased weight of the growing baby and the support structures. It is common for women to gain 20 to 40 pounds during pregnancy. That is a significant increase in weight over a relatively short period of time for the body to adapt to.
The second thing that happens is the body starts releasing hormones that cause the ligaments to relax, soften and stretch. This is crucial to aid in the birth process but you can see now we have increased weight stressing the lower back and the ligaments are not able to provide the same level of stability to the spine they normally would.
The third effect is on the muscles themselves. As the baby grows the abdominal muscles are stretched out and aren’t able to provide the same level of stability to the lower back and spine like they normally would.
Combine all these factors together and it’s no wonder that back pain is so prevalent during pregnancy.
So knowing what the potential causes of the pain are it makes sense to lay out a treatment plan to address the issues. That treatment plan should include exercises to strengthen the core muscles that stabilize the spine. These exercises should be started as soon as possible even before pregnancy to maximize the effects during pregnancy.
It is also important to see a Chiropractor to evaluate the motion and function of the spinal joints and pelvis. Adjustments will help restore proper motion to joints that are misaligned or not functioning properly. They will also reduce the inflammation and irritation to the spinal joints and pelvis.
One of the research papers I reviewed before putting this together specifically looked at comparing standard obstetric care of women with low back pain during pregnancy to women that were treated with adjustments, in addition to exercises and home tips. The group receiving the standard obstetric care had progressively worse back pain during their pregnancy. The group seeing the Chiropractor had improvements in all pain measures during their pregnancy.
Of course, being a Chiropractor I’m biased in thinking everyone should get adjusted but you can see how important it is for women during pregnancy. Like most of the articles I write there are tips here for everyone. Even if you aren’t pregnant. Guys I’m looking at you. Beer bellys cause the same strain on your spine.