3 Ways Chiropractic Can Help Your Low Back Pain During Pregnancy
A new study from Anesthesia: Essays & Research concluded that up to 80% of pregnant women suffer from low back pain. Of those, one in three lost sleep and nearly twice as many limited their physical activity due to pain. (1) To make matters worse, a history of lower back pain doubles the risk of developing pregnancy-related low back pain.
Fortunately, almost 75% of women undergoing chiropractic management report significant pain reduction and clinically significant improvements in disability (Chiroup.com). At Precision Chiropractic we look forward to making your pregnancy as pain free and as enjoyable as possible. Here are three ways we can help you during your pregnancy:
- Manipulation
The goal of manual therapy is to restore normal joint mobility and reduce muscle tension. Manual therapy, including chiropractic manipulation, has shown medium to large benefit for the management of pregnancy-related low back pain.
Almost 75% of women undergoing chiropractic manipulation report significant pain reduction and clinically meaningful improvements in disability. Additionally, nearly 4 in 5 women undergoing manual therapy report reduced pregnancy symptoms; i.e., heartburn, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, insomnia, neck pain, hyperosmia (enhanced ability to perceive odors) and hypersalivation. Women who seek chiropractic care throughout pregnancy may have an added benefit of shorter labor times.
Unfortunately, 40% of (untreated) women who experience pregnancy-related LBP continue to suffer six months post-partum, and 20% report pain three years later. Adding chiropractic to your prenatal and postnatal care can significant’y decrease these problems.
- Exercise
Current physical activity guidelines suggest that healthy women may begin or continue moderate intensity aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes per week. Women should not begin vigorous exercise during pregnancy.
Therapeutic exercise has been shown to significantly reduce pregnancy-related low back pain. Specific exercises include pelvic tilts, knee to chest stretches, sciatic nerve floss, hamstring stretches, and Kegel exercises. We’ve included a few exercises here:
- Modalities
Modalities that can help during pregnancy here at Precision Chiropractic are: E-stim therapy, instrument assisted therapies as well as active release therapy. All these plus Chiropractic adjustments can help to make your pregnancy pain free and more enjoyable.
We would love to see you in our office before, during and after your pregnancy. We also offer pediatric Chiropractic care. Infants benefit from adjustments just as much as mom and dad do! Call us for your first exam today! 816-635-2645