Pregnancy is one of the most miraculous things that happen on earth. However, the gestational process often causes serious discomfort for many mothers. Luckily, chiropractors can help pregnant mothers before, during, and after giving birth.
In this article, we’ll discuss the various aspects of pregnancy-related pain and outline how chiropractic care can help mothers smoothly move through this process.
Bodily Changes During Pregnancy
As was mentioned earlier, pregnancy puts enormous amounts of stress on a mother’s body. Let’s start out by taking a look at some of the major changes that occur during pregnancy.
Increased Weight
Perhaps the most obvious change that occurs during pregnancy is weight gain. Naturally, mothers who are growing a baby in their bodies will need to gain a significant amount of weight; this goes without saying!
This weight gain can lead to skin changes, joint pain, and a number of other bodily issues that tend to occur during pregnancy.
Decreased Joint Stability
During pregnancy, there are tons of hormones flowing throughout a woman’s body. The main purpose of these hormones is to help the growing baby thrive up until the moment of birth. However, there are some side effects from these hormones that can cause pain for mothers.
For instance, some hormones released during pregnancy can lead to joint laxity throughout the body. This means that joints become more flexible and less stable. For some mothers, this doesn’t cause any issues. For a select few people, however, joint laxity can cause serious pain. This pain is especially problematic when moving and walking.
Swelling
Edema and swelling are irritating issues that affect pregnant mothers at different times throughout the day.
Often, swelling will occur in the feet, and this will get worse throughout the day.
When combined with the weight gain from the pregnancy, many pregnant women will have to get whole new wardrobes and shoes to deal with the pressure these issues cause throughout the body.
Chiropractic Benefits for Pregnancy
In the previous section, the many issues that affect mothers may have made you nervous about the process. Luckily, your local Plano pregnancy chiropractor can help with many of these effects of the pregnancy process.
Decreased Pain
One of the best benefits of pregnancy is the decrease in pain level which chiropractors are able to provide.
For good reason, pregnant mothers are often concerned about any treatment, food, or other substances that could harm the baby. Therefore, these individuals may shy away from treatments such as chiropractic care, which many people see as aggressive treatments.
However, it’s important to note that chiropractic care is safe and effective for mothers during all stages of pregnancy. These gentle treatments help to push the spine into perfect alignment, allowing for decreased pain and improved comfort during the entire gestational process.
Shortened Labor
Interestingly, many postpartum mothers have noted that their labor processes were often shorter and easier if they regularly attended chiropractic sessions throughout their pregnancy.
Chiropractic adjustments can keep the spine straight and these treatments often serve to improve nerve signaling between the mother’s central nervous system and all other parts of the body. Therefore, this improved connection tends to lead to easier and shorter labor and delivery processes.
Improved Mood
For patients of all types, chiropractic care can improve their mood. This is especially important during pregnancy, as the process can often make mothers experience large shifts in mood and temperament.
Are you currently pregnant, postpartum, or about to become pregnant? Our professionals at Keystone Chiropractic are here to help, no matter what stage of pregnancy you are in. Book your appointment with us today!