Written By: Dr. Chase Pease, D.C. For nine months, life revolves around one question, "how can I bring my baby into the world healthy and safely?" This generally includes numerous visits to the OB/GYN, vitamins, supplements, cravings and nutrition changes, difficulty standing or getting out of your bed or car, sleep discomfort, and even pain. The reality is that most women will experience discomfort during pregnancy. Common medical solution like painkillers and muscle relaxers can’t be had, stretching can worsen the problem, and even sleep aids are not recommended. Chiropractic care can be of great help to alleviate the pain and discomfort, which makes the expecting mother (and father), much happier and the pregnancy much more enjoyable.  Approximately 50% of women experiences back pain during pregnancy and that ratio spikes to 75% during labor. This can mainly be attributed to the altered physical and hormonal changes a woman goes through. As the baby grows, it pulls your weight forward causing posture imbalances and increased curvature of your lower back, which diminishes the ability of your pelvis and spine to adequately support your weight. This, typically, results in compression of the spinal and pelvic joints, pinching of the sciatic nerve, and contraction of muscles to try and retain stability. All of this contributes to pain, and is made worse by the hormones relaxin and progesterone, particularly in the third trimester. These hormones allow the pelvic cavity to expand to accommodate the growth of the baby, but also allow muscles and ligaments to over stretch.  In a series of studies, it was found that an outstanding 84% of women who underwent Chiropractic care experienced relief of back pain. It also significantly decreases the risk of, "back labor.” Typically, women who experience back pain through pregnancy are three times more likely to experience back labor. The study also noted that women utilizing Chiropractic care during pregnancy experience 25% shorter labor for a first time mother, and 31% shorter for subsequent births. So, is Chiropractic safe? Another study showed that women experienced relief in symptoms in an average of 1.8 visits, with no negative reported effects. Not only can this help reduce pain and shorten labor times, but also decreases the likelihood of a cesarean section by 24% and forcep usage during delivery by 14%. This is accomplished through Chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic massage, and moderate exercise focused on core/pelvic strengthening. Chiropractic is a safe, affordable, and dependable means of relieving pain during pregnancy and assisting expecting mothers in bringing their baby into this world happy and healthy.
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