Women often experience musculoskeletal pain as the body changes throughout pregnancy. The growing belly changes the woman’s center of gravity, which can result in back and neck pain. Additionally many women feel pain down the legs, commonly known as sciatica. Chiropractic can provide relief without risk to the baby. Our treatments are safe, comfortable and effective; without the use of medication.
Studies have found that women under chiropractic care during their pregnancy experience a shorter time in labor than women who are not under care.
Chiropractors assess the motion of the joints and the tension in the muscles and target their treatment on areas that need correction, including the pelvis. During labor and delivery, having a pelvis that moves freely can help decrease the chance of complications.
Chiropractic care is also beneficial for the growing baby. The ligaments that support the uterus attach to the bones in the pelvis. Through this relationship, when the pelvis is misaligned it can create increased tension on the uterus. This increased tension, known as intra-uterine constraint can be a reason that the baby is in a breech or transverse position. According to a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics the Webster Technique has an 82% success rate in removing the musculoskeletal constraint that may be limiting the baby’s ability to obtain a vertex or head down position on its own. For a full text of this article, please click here.
The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic technique developed for the pregnant woman. It assesses the pelvis and makes corrections as necessary. The adjustments are safe, effective and comfortable for both mom and baby. Some symptoms that intra-uterine constraint may be present include one sided pain, back pain, pelvic pain and or a baby in a breech position. The effects of intra-uterine constraint can been seen in children in the form of congenital torticollis where the baby is unable to turn their head to one side or plagiocephaly or a mis-shapen head. These appear when the baby was not able to move freely while growing in the womb.
The goal of the Webster Technique is to improve musculoskeletal function of the pelvis and sacrum, which will help the baby obtain an optimal position for development and birth. When the baby is in correct position, it reduces the risk for complications and interventions. Based on this, women should utilize chiropractic though the whole pregnancy. To learn more about this technique, please visit the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.
Dr. Morsch is certified in the Webster Technique through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.
Chiropractic can also be helpful for pain that occurs post-partum.