Many people
come to us with questions related to health and chiropractic.
On the left
you will find three topics that people frequently ask us
about. Many other questions and answers can be found on
our
blog. We welcome additional questions that we will
address on our blog. Check it out for monthly health
topics and coupons.
Why should
I have chiropractic care during pregnancy?
During
pregnancy, there are several physiological and
endocrinological changes that occur in preparation for
creating the environment for the developing baby. The
following changes could result in a misaligned spine or joint:
Establishing
pelvic balance and alignment is another reason to obtain
chiropractic care during pregnancy. When the pelvis is
misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the
developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine
constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for
the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery.
The nervous
system is the master communication system to all the body
systems including the reproductive system. Keeping the spine
aligned helps the entire body work more effectively.
What are
the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy?
Chiropractic
care during pregnancy may provide benefits for women who are
pregnant. Potential benefits of chiropractic care during
pregnancy include:
-
Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
-
Controlling symptoms of nausea
-
Reducing
the time of labor and delivery
-
Relieving
back, neck or joint pain
-
Prevent a
potential cesarean section
What about
chiropractic care and breech deliveries?
The late
Larry Webster, D.C., Founder of the International Chiropractic
Pediatric Association, developed a specific chiropractic
analysis and adjustment which enables chiropractors to
establish balance in the pregnant woman's pelvis and reduce
undue stress to her uterus and supporting ligaments. This
balanced state in the pelvis makes it easier for a breech baby
to turn naturally. The technique is known as the Webster
Technique.
It is
considered normal by some for a baby to present breech until
the third trimester. Most birth practitioners are not
concerned with breech presentations until a patient is 37
weeks along. Approximately 4% of all pregnancies result in a
breech presentation.
The Journal
of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported in the
July/August 2002 issue an 82% success rate of babies turning
vertex when doctors of chiropractic used the Webster
Technique. Further, the results from the study suggest that it
may be beneficial to perform the Webster Technique as soon as
the 8th month of pregnancy when a woman has a breech
presentation.
Currently,
the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association
recommends that women receive chiropractic care throughout
pregnancy to establish pelvic balance and optimize the room a
baby has for development throughout pregnancy. With a balanced
pelvis, babies have a greater chance of moving into the
correct position for birth, and the crisis and worry
associated with breech and posterior presentations may be
avoided altogether. Optimal baby positioning at the time of
birth also eliminates the potential for dystocia (difficult
labor) and therefore results in easier and safer deliveries
for both the mother and baby.
Your Next
Steps:
Talk to
Your Health Care Provider:
As more
women are seeking the benefits of chiropractic care throughout
pregnancy, more health care providers are seeking trained
doctors of chiropractic in their communities to refer their
pregnant patients to. Discuss these options with your health
care provider. If they are not yet familiar with chiropractic
care in pregnancy, ask them to find out more about its many
benefits. Most importantly, seek options that support your
body's natural abilities to function and find a team of
providers who are respectful of your choices.
Can A Chiropractor help me
if I've been in a
car accident?
Hopefully
you never have a car accident, but for those that do, the
effects can be felt for a lifetime. The only health care
providers that can check for misalignment/subluxation are
chiropractors. Different therapies and medical
treatments can be beneficial, but none of them will look for
misalignment or are qualified to give spinal adjustments.
It doesn't matter if your car accident was yesterday or 10
years ago, getting your spine checked by a chiropractor for
misalignment is always beneficial.
What can you expect from your chiropractor?
- Thorough examination
- Spinal x-rays
- Exercise recommendations
- Lifestyle changes
- Referral to appropriate health care
providers as needed
The toughest patients to help are the
patients that have let injuries and subluxations go untreated
for too long.
Should
My Kid See a Chiropractor?
We love to
adjust kids because they need spinal care more than what
parents often think. How
many times has your child fallen down? Learning to walk
can be hard on a child’s spine, just as jumping off of
furniture or playing sports can be. We believe that
starting spinal care at a young age will prevent many of the
spine problems we see in our adult population. If we can
make a structural change in a spine, it’s more likely to
happen in that young patient. If the birth of the child
was traumatic it is extremely important that that child get
their spine checked for misalignment and swelling. This
misalignment and swelling can put pressure on nerves and cause
dysfunction in their body. We call this a subluxation in
chiropractic and it is fixable at a young age.
Common Conditions that typically
respond well to chiropractic care:
- Colic
- Ear infections
- Bed Wetting
- Asthma
Contact our office and have your
child's spine checked for misalignment; the rewards are
invaluable.
719-594-4223
