Everything You Should Know About Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

​During your pregnancy journey, your body undergoes rapid changes that can be both exciting and challenging. These transformations may lead to chronic discomfort, leaving you with numerous questions about how to take care of your body over the next 9 months and beyond. Chiropractic care is commonly associated with treating back and neck pain, but it can also be used to treat many other symptoms such as pregnancy pains. 

In this article, we will explore and address all the questions racing through your mind about chiropractic care during pregnancy.

Is It Safe to Go to the Chiropractor During Pregnancy?

As a chiropractor, I am often asked  whether or not chiropractic and massage therapy are safe for pregnant women. The answer is a resounding YES!

​Not only is it safe, it’s beneficial to your rapidly changing body. Chiropractors are specifically trained to work with pregnant women, utilizing specialized techniques that avoid placing unnecessary pressure on the abdomen. This ensures a safe and comfortable experience for expectant mothers. ​Note that you should always inform your chiropractor that you are pregnant. Doing so will allow your chiropractor to alter the treatment regimen as necessary to ensure the safety of yourself and your child.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

Your body changes immensely as it adapts to nurture the growing life inside of you. Your body will gain natural weight as it accommodates your child during the course of 9 months, causing shifts in the lower spine, leading to subluxations, also known as misalignments, that cause pinched nerves. These pinched nerves lead to some of the common negative side effects of pregnancy, including nausea, dizziness, back and neck pains, and even morning sickness.
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Spinal manipulation targets the subluxations and relieves the stress on the nerves, which in turn eases or eliminates them, making for a smoother, less painful pregnancy.

This is especially true during the last trimester — pregnancy often affects the way you walk and carry yourself. This leads to poor posture, which intensifies any back pain you may be experiencing. Periodic chiropractic visits will alleviate back and neck pains, as well as prevent them in the future.

How Will Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy Affect Your Baby?

​Spinal manipulation and massage therapy go a long way toward helping your child. It doesn’t necessarily affect them directly but rather indirectly via you, the mother. Your health and wellbeing are crucial to your child’s healthy development.

Chiropractic care improves the mother’s immune system, which is connected with the developing fetus’ immune system, strengthening both at the same time. Additionally, maintaining spinal and pelvic integrity will ensure that the fetus has room to develop and avoid improper birth positioning (breech, posterior position, etc.). This will ensure a shorter labor when the time comes and minimize the risk of needing a C-section birth.

Should You Visit the Chiropractor Postpartum?

​Absolutely! After birth, your body doesn’t just wash its hands of the whole experience and say, “well, I’m done now!” It needs time to heal. Chiropractic care is highly useful as your body returns to its normal self after you’ve given birth. On top of that, it will relieve stress, aches, and pains that your brand new bundle of joy may help induce.

Finding the Right Pregnancy Chiropractor

​At Petrak Family Chiropractic Center, we specialize in providing chiropractic care to expecting mothers. Our tailored solutions help to reduce nausea, dizziness, back and neck pains, morning sickness, and other pregnancy-related discomforts. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation!