At our Sioux Falls chiropractic office, we are often asked “Do you work with women during pregnancy?” and the answer to that is “yes.” We do offer chiropractic care for women during pregnancy. Chiropractic adjustments are typically safe for both baby and mother during an uncomplicated pregnancy. Many women will report that they have less discomfort when under chiropractic care. Some will even report shorter labor times when compared to a previous pregnancy without chiropractic care. Our chiropractors are usually able to work with patients from early in the pregnancy right up until delivery occurs. Ideally, care can help prevent or reduce the use of other the counter medications during pregnancy.
Why is Chiropractic Care Needed During Pregnancy?
During pregnancy a woman’s body goes through many changes in a short amount of time and chiropractic care can often help them to manage those changes. Early in pregnancy, care doesn’t need to be modified much as compared to non-pregnant care. As the baby starts to grow it is common to develop lower back and upper back pain from carrying extra weight, having increased spinal curvature and from having to alter sleeping position. At this point we may modify care to make sure we don’t place pressure on the abdominal area when performing the adjustments. Also, later in pregnancy women may develop sciatica (lower back pain with symptoms radiating down the leg) or even numbness in their hands or feet.
Can Chiropractic Help a Baby in the Breech Position?
Another common reason to seek chiropractic care during pregnancy is if a baby is presenting in a breech position. This means the baby’s head is up and is not ready for birth. A chiropractic technique called Webster’s technique is able to help some babies to flip to a head down position. Webster’s technique is a natural method that combines chiropractic adjustments with soft tissue work to help facilitate the baby being able to flip to head down. While it may not work in all cases, we recommended trying Webster’s technique with a chiropractor as we have had multiple successful cases in our office. If the baby doesn’t flip a c-section may be necessary.
Do I Need Adjusted After Delivery?
Our initial goal during care is to be help improve your pain or symptoms. After the initial symptoms improve many patients choose continue care on a regular basis during pregnancy. This is to help their body cope with the changes during later stages and adjustments usually help control the discomfort they experience. We also recommend patients (and baby) have their spines checked after giving birth as birth can be a traumatic event for both mom and baby. It is also common for women to have upper back and neck pain shortly after birth. This is due to their posture when nursing and/or caring for their new baby. If you are pregnant or recently gave birth and are wondering if chiropractic care may be able to help you, please either contact our office or call us at (605) 271-5717 to set up an appointment.