Expecting Relief: How Chiropractic Care Can Help Ease Pregnancy Discomforts

Pregnancy is a beautiful and transformative experience for many women, but it is also challenging both physically and mentally. As your body undergoes significant changes to accommodate your growing baby, you may experience aches, pains, and discomfort. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to support your body during pregnancy, reduce pain, improve sleep, and prepare for childbirth.

Reducing Pain As your baby grows, the additional weight and pressure on your spine, hips, and pelvis can cause discomfort and pain. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada found that 50-80% of pregnant women experience back pain at some point during their pregnancy.* A woman's abdomen begins to protrude which increases her lumbar curve causing an anterior pelvic tilt and increased pressure on discs and joints. There are also many pelvic changes, postural adaptations and change in load distributions. Also, the increase in hormones, such as relaxin and progesterone, causes pelvic hypermobility and decreased stabilization. Chiropractic care can help alleviate this pain by gently realigning the spine and pelvis, reducing nerve pressure, and improving circulation. Chiropractic adjustments can also help ease round ligament pain, sciatica, and other common pregnancy-related discomforts.

Improving Sleep Many pregnant women struggle with sleep as their pregnancy progresses. Chiropractic care can help improve sleep by reducing pain, easing tension, and promoting relaxation. By adjusting the spine and pelvis, chiropractors can help improve blood flow and oxygenation, which can contribute to better sleep.

Preparing for Childbirth Chiropractic care can also help prepare the body for childbirth. By improving pelvic alignment, chiropractors can help ensure that the baby has enough space to move into the optimal position for delivery. A 2013 study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that 69% of women experience back pain during labor.** Chiropractic adjustments can help relax the muscles and joints in the pelvis, which can facilitate a smoother and more comfortable delivery.

Many chiropractors have tables that adjust for pregnant women's bodies and use gentle, non-invasive techniques to support the unique needs of pregnant women. They focus on decreasing intrauterine constraint, which is any force external to the fetus that obstructs normal movement. This can lead to decreased room for the developing baby, difficulty for the baby to be in the best position for delivery, and can make delivery more difficult on the mother.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy is safe and effective for both mother and baby. Regular chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can help reduce pain, improve sleep, and prepare the body for childbirth, helping you to enjoy a more comfortable and healthy pregnancy. If you or someone you know if having pain and other difficulties associated with pregnancy, find a chiropractor near you!

*Katonis, P., Kampouroglou, A., Aggelopoulos, A., Kakavelakis, K., Lykoudis, S., & Makrigiannakis, A. (2011). Pregnancy-related low back pain. Hippokratia, 15(3), 205–210.

** Lieberman, E., Davidson, K., Lee-Parritz, A., & Shearer, E. (2013). Changes in fetal position during labor and their association with epidural analgesia. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 122(5), 974-980. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3182a5f8a5.