Pregnancy

Tips for a Healthy and Happy Pregnancy

Shorter Labor Times and Chiropractic

Approximately ½ of all pregnant women complain to their doctors about back pain. In a three-part study performed by Joan M. Fallon at Yeshiva University, 65 women were used as subjects. All of the subjects received chiropractic care from at least the 10^th week of pregnancy through labor and delivery. Their average labor times were recorded and compared to average labor times as statistically averaged by at least 4 sources, as well as compared to those of a local midwife/obstetrician practice. In the second part of the study, a questionnaire regarding the levels of back pain was given to determine any changes that might result due to the chiropractic adjustments.

The study found that “chiropractic care significantly reduces labor time!” The labor time was decreased 24%-39% (as compared to national averages). The study also revealed a significant reduction in back pain with chiropractic care. Each woman reported at least a 50% reduction in back pain and some as high as 100% reduction in their pain as a result of the chiropractic care.

If you or a loved one were pregnant, wouldn’t you want to experience less pain and discomfort through your pregnancy? Wouldn’t you want to decrease your labor time by hours? Since nearly all medications can be harmful to the health of your baby, chiropractic becomes the obvious choice. Wellness Chiropractic is the natural choice for a quicker and less painful delivery. We use special equipment and tables just for pregnant women. It’s safe and effective.

Call Lakes Chiropractic for a consultation to determine if Wellness Chiropractic could benefit your pregnancy and delivery

Pregnancy and Spinal Adjustments

More and more women are discovering the many benefits associated with chiropractic care in pregnancy. The most common complaint where women seek chiropractic care in pregnancy is for low back pain. As more women utilize chiropractic care they are noticing additional benefits to chiropractic care in pregnancy.

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association is involved in several large, collaborative studies to show the efficacy and safety of chiropractic care in pregnancy. Doctors of Chiropractic are participating in advanced educational classes to learn specific chiropractic techniques which facillitate easier, safer deliveries for the mother and baby.

Sacroiliac subluxation: a common, treatable cause of low-back pain in pregnancy Daly JM, Frame PS, Rapoza PA. Fam Prac Res J 1991;11(2):149-159

A retrospective review of 100 consecutive pregnancies, involving 94 women receiving prenatal care at a rural western New York family practice, was conducted. Back pain was spontaneously reported to the physician by 23 women in 23 pregnancies. Eleven of the 23 women met diagnostic criteria for sacroiliac subluxation. These criteria include absence of lumbar spine and hip pathology, pain in the sacral region, asymmetrical movement of the posterior superior iliac spines upon forward flexion, a positive pelvic compression test and asymmetry of the anterior superior iliac spines. A cohort of 11 women meeting criteria for sacroiliac subluxation was treated with rotational manipulation of the sacroiliac joints. After manipulative therapy, 10 of the 11 women (91%) had relief of pain and no longer exhibited signs of sacroiliac subluxation.

Back pain during pregnancy and labor Diakow PR, Gadsby TA, Gadsby JB, Gleddie JG, Leprich DJ, Scales AM. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1991 (Feb); 14 (2): 116-118

84% of patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy reported relief of back pain during pregnancy. There was significantly less likelihood of back labor when spinal manipulative therapy was administered during pregnancy.

Low back pain during pregnancy. Berg G, Hammar M, Moller-Nielsen J, Linden U, Thorblad J. Obstet Gynecol. 1988 (Jan); 71 (1): 71-75

Of 862 women who answered the questionnaires, about half developed some degree of low back pain. Seventy-nine women who were unable to continue their work because of severe low back pain were referred to an orthopedic surgeon for an orthoneurologic examination. The most common reason for severe low back pain was dysfunction of the sacroiliac joints. Physically strenuous work and previous low back pain were factors associated with an increased risk of developing low back pain and sacroiliac dysfunction during pregnancy.

Back pain during pregnancy: a prospective study. Kristiansson P, Svardsudd K, von Schoultz B. Spine 1996 (Mar 15); 21 (6): 702-709

A cohort of 200 consecutive women attending an antenatal clinic were followed throughout pregnancy with repeated measurements of back pain and possible determinants by questionnaires and physical examinations. Seventy-six percent reported back pain at some time during pregnancy. Sixty-one percent reported onset during the present pregnancy. Back pain during pregnancy is a common complaint. The 30% with the highest pain score reported great difficulties with normal activities. The back pain started early in pregnancy and increased over time. Young women had more pain than older women. Back pain starting during pregnancy may be a special entity and may have another origin than back pain not related to pregnancy.

The prevalence of recalled low back pain during and after pregnancy: a South Australian population survey. Stapleton DB, MacLennan AH, Kristiansson P. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2002 (Nov); 42 (5): 482-485

Thirty-five and a half per cent of women recall having at least moderately severe back pain during pregnancy. Women who reported such back pain were younger, were more likely to report ill health and be unemployed. Increasing parity was not associated with current back pain. The most commonly used treatments were bed rest, pain killing medication, physiotherapy, and chiropractic treatment. Half of those with symptoms were untreated. Sixty-eight per cent of women who experienced moderate or worse low back pain during pregnancy continued to experience recurring low back pain with a self reported reduction in their health.

Effect of pressure applied to the upper thoracic (placebo) versus lumbar areas (osteopathic manipulative treatment) for inhibition of lumbar myalgia during labor. Guthrie RA, Martin RH. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 1982 (Dec); 82 (4): 247-251

In a study of 500 women during labor, 352 experienced pain in the lumbar area during labor, an incidence of 70.4%. Low back pain during was associated with baby presentation. Application of pressure to the lumbar area to inhibit lumbar pain reduced the need for major narcotic pain medication and minor tranquilizing medication.

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