During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes biomechanical, physiological, and endocrine changes. In addition to gaining weight from growing a baby, a woman’s hormones change, and the hormone Relaxin increases, making her ligaments more relaxed. The weight of carrying a baby often causes low back and pelvic pain, especially as the trimesters progress.
Chiropractors are trained to take care of and adjust pregnant women. Many chiropractors take advanced courses in perinatal care, specifically training in Webster’s technique, which is used to improve pelvic alignment and fetal positioning. Chiropractic is a safe, holistic, and vitalistic approach used alongside traditional obstetric care throughout a woman’s pregnancy. It is reported that 75-85% of pregnant patients report relief from pregnancy-related back and pelvic pain. Doctors of Chiropractic adjust subluxations (misalignments) of the spine, restore proper nerve flow, allowing the body to function optimally. The benefits of regular adjustments include a healthier pregnancy, shorter labor and delivery times, relief from back and joint pain, an easier, less painful delivery, and a possible decrease in the risk of a C-section.
The most common issues we see in pregnant women in our practice are low back pain, pelvic pain, sciatica, headaches, reflex, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Chiropractic care can help reduce these symptoms by correcting spinal misalignments, removing nerve interference, and decreasing pregnancy-related symptoms. Chiropractic care is important during pregnancy for both mom and baby because chiropractic adjustments keep the nervous system healthy. The nervous system is the master system in the body and controls the reproductive system, and therefore the growing and developing baby. The benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include a more comfortable pregnancy for mom, reduced pain and symptoms, healthy baby development, and an easier labor and delivery.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation with your doctor, thorough chiropractic examination and customized plan of action. This offer does not apply to Medicare.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Discover The Root Cause
Instead of chasing symptoms, we take time to find out why you’re experiencing them. Our thorough exam helps reveal the underlying issues so we can address them with confidence.
2. Your Goals. Our Findings.
We combine your goals, your lifestyle and your expectations with our clinical findings to build a clear, personalized plan aligned with where you want to go.
3. Become A Stronger, Healthier Version Of You
With consistent, corrective-focused care, you don’t just feel better—you function better. We’re here to help you rebuild your health from within and be your best self.
How Our Chiropractors Treat Pregnant Moms In Westford, MA
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
In our practice, we begin with a thorough consultation that includes a very detailed patient history. For an expectant mom, we will ask questions about prior pregnancies, any other care received, how far along she is in the pregnancy, and, of course, current symptoms, complications, nutrition, and any supplements she may be taking.
An exam on a pregnant mother is very similar to that of someone who is not pregnant, with a few differences. After the consultation and history, we do a thermography scan to detect heat and never interference, a posture analysis, a chiropractic examination that includes static and motion palpation, and use a nervoscope. We do not take spinal X-rays on pregnant women.
When a pregnant mom comes to our office, she is typically having pain or some type of symptoms related to pregnancy. Our thorough examination allows us to get to the root cause of the symptoms rather than covering them up with medications that could harm mom and baby. Finding and correcting vertebral subluxation ensures that mom’s spine is properly aligned, her nervous system is functioning optimally, and, therefore, she will have a healthier pregnancy.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Westford, MA
Subluxation is a misalignment of a spinal bone or vertebrae that is out of healthy alignment, creating nerve interference. This can cause uncomfortable symptoms for mom, such as pelvic pain or low back pain. A misaligned pelvis decreases the room available for the growing baby, resulting in uterine constraint or even fetal malpositioning and breech presentation. This makes labor and delivery more difficult for mom and baby and could result in a Cesarean section.
Adjustments are safe and gentle and will take pressure off the nerves and align the pelvis, creating more room for the baby. Adjustments will also relieve the symptoms that mom may have, such as low back pain or sciatica. Chiropractic can also help relieve other symptoms associated with pregnancy, such as joint pain, headaches, heartburn, etc.
A growing baby means a growing belly for mom, especially during the third trimester. Our chiropractic office uses tables that adjust for a growing woman’s belly, such as the knee-chest table (all-fours position) and the Hi-Lo table, which has a swing-away piece for the belly. We ensure that pregnancy adjustments are safe, gentle, and comfortable.
Custom Pregnancy Exercise Plan
During pregnancy, it is safe and beneficial to continue a regular exercise program. If you are not currently doing exercise, there is no better time to start! A woman’s body changes quite a bit during pregnancy – hormones change, weight is gained, and there are biomechanical changes and more stress on the lower back and pelvis. Ligaments become looser, leading to greater muscular instability. It is therefore crucial to maintain muscular strength by lifting weights 2-3 times per week.
Exercise is also essential for maintaining cardiovascular health, keeping a healthy weight, and reducing the risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Exercise can also relieve some of the discomfort associated with pregnancy, like low back pain. Daily exercise, such as walking, swimming, cycling, and weight lifting, also boosts mood and improves sleep.
Common Causes of Pregnancy Pain in Westford, MA
Lower Back Pain
During pregnancy, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, women will naturally gain weight as their baby grows and develops. This weight is carried primarily in her belly, creating an increased lumbar curvature, putting more stress on her lower back, resulting in pain and symptoms. Her ligaments are also more lax, leading to greater instability in her lower back and causing pain, soreness, and achiness. As the baby grows, the abdominal muscles weaken, further destabilizing the lower back. These are the main reasons a woman may experience low back pain during pregnancy.
Pelvic Pain
During pregnancy, the hormones progesterone and relaxin are at their peak, causing the ligaments in the pelvis to loosen to prepare the pelvis for a growing baby and for the birth process. This creates additional instability in the pelvis, which can lead to pain.
Uterine Constraint
During pregnancy, many biomechanical changes occur in a woman’s body, increasing instability and stress, particularly in the low back and pelvis. If the pelvis is misaligned, there is increased pressure on the nerves (subluxation). Pelvic misalignment does not allow for room and movement for the growing baby. The baby is not in an optimal position, creating pelvic and low back pain, which may result in a breech position.
Breech Baby
A baby is breech if they are in a buttocks-down or foot-down position (ideally, a baby should be head down for optimal delivery). When a baby is in a breech position, they may press their head against the mother’s ribs and abdomen, causing pain. If the baby’s feet are down in the pelvic girdle when they kick, this can also create intense pelvic pain. When a baby is not in the ideal position, mom just feels uncomfortable, can have round ligament pain, pelvic discomfort, or even sharp, intense pain.
Sciatica
When there is more instability in the pelvis and lower back due to weight gain, shifting of the center of gravity, hormonal changes, etc., there is more pressure on the nerves in the lower back and pelvis. The vertebrae of the lower back and the bones of the pelvis can misalign (we call this subluxation), leading to nerve irritation. It is common for the sciatic nerve, which exits the spine between L5 and the sacrum, to become more irritated during pregnancy, leading to sciatic pain that radiates down the leg to the feet and toes. Sciatica can cause pain in the buttocks and can also travel further down the leg, even causing numbness and tingling. Sciatic pain can be very painful and uncomfortable.
Check Out Our Location Near You
234 Littleton Rd Unit B Suite 1A, Westford, MA 01886
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chiropractic safe during pregnancy?
Chiropractic is very safe during pregnancy for both mom and baby. We use gentle techniques to correct spinal misalignments and remove nerve interference. We also have a different adjusting table to accommodate mom and her growing belly.
When should you start seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy?
Ideally, a woman should start seeing a chiropractor before getting pregnant to ensure that her spine is in healthy alignment, but the next best time is as soon as possible! It is never too early in pregnancy to get your spine checked. The sooner the better for a healthy spine and nervous system, and therefore a healthy pregnancy.
Can you go to the chiropractor in the first trimester?
Yes, you can go to the chiropractor during the first trimester. It is safe and effective any time during pregnancy.
How do you relieve pelvic pain during pregnancy?
Chiropractors relieve pelvic pain by first evaluating the patient and doing a thorough chiropractic exam. We determine whether and where misalignments are in the pelvis and low back, and gently adjust them to take pressure off the nerves, relieving pain.
Who is the best chiropractor for pregnancy in Westford, MA?
The chiropractors at Corrective Care Chiropractic are the best! We have been in practice for almost 20 years and have cared for several patients before, during, and after their pregnancies, with great results!
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation with your doctor, thorough chiropractic examination and customized plan of action. This offer does not apply to Medicare.