Importance of Osteopathic and Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
Osteopathic and Chiropractic care constitute a great way to make your pregnancy healthier and safer. Modern-day doctors and medical professionals suggest pregnant mums incorporate these therapies in their prenatal care practices for realignment of their spine, bringing balance to the pelvis, providing relief to pelvic and spinal muscles and creating a safer environment for childbirth.
Pregnancy is one of the phases in a woman’s life when her body gets into several endocrinological and physical changes. Such changes happen as your body is preparing a perfect environment for carrying and developing a baby. However, these changes may cause several physiological problems like misalignment of joints and the spine. Some of the common physiological changes that most mums go through during their pregnancy period are:
Bulging abdomen
Enhanced curve on the lower back
Pelvic muscle weakness and other changes
Postural adaptations
Establishing spinal alignment and pelvic balance is important for both the mother and the child. A misaligned spine or pelvis may narrow the space required for the fetus’s development, which is also known as intrauterine constraint. This may stop the baby from getting into the right position during delivery. So, if you are willing to have non-invasive and natural childbirth, it’s important to work on the alignment of your spine and pelvis. Remember, any abnormal position of your child may interfere with the natural labour and lead to forceps or C-section delivery.
What Is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care, also known as spinal manipulation, is a therapy that aims to realign the spine. Lifestyle changes, injuries and certain posture practices may cause muscle stiffness and misalignment of the spine. During pregnancy, misalignment of the spine and pelvis is common in most women. Chiropractic adjustments are done to realign the spine, joints and pelvis so that your baby can grow inside you safely.
Maintaining a good posture is vital during and after pregnancy. Thus, chiropractic care can be truly beneficial for both the mother and the child. It strengthens the mother from the core and helps her to deliver a healthy child naturally. The process does not involve any drugs and is absolutely safe. However, if the mother has complications like toxemia or ectopic pregnancy, it’s always advisable to consult a doctor before having chiropractic adjustments.
Benefits of Chiropractic Adjustments
Chiropractic manipulations are a bit different for pregnant women. Here, a chiropractor can help you with some special stretches that are safe and effective at the same time. Regular chiropractic care may help you to:
Reduce joint pains caused due to pressure exertion on the joints for carrying a child
Strengthen the spinal and pelvic muscles to enable foetus development
Help in proper alignment of the spine and pelvis so that the baby gets the right amount of space for development
An aligned pelvis helps the baby to reposition during delivery
Reduce the time of labour
Prevent a potential forceps or cesarean delivery
What Is Osteopathic Care?
Osteopathic care is a gentle therapy to promote healthy, safe and natural pregnancy. Muscle and joint pains are common problems for mothers during their prenatal stage. Osteopathy is a process of methodical and slow massage movements that provide relief from aching muscles and joints while allowing your body to tune to the foetus’ growth naturally. It is a perfectly safe process to comfort the mother without negatively impacting the baby inside her womb.
Apart from providing relief from certain aches and discomforts, osteopathy is an effective way to alleviate stress from the body. The process allows the mom-to-be to relax throughout her pregnancy. For a pregnant woman with hypertension or high blood pressure, osteopathic care can relieve stress and promote a healthy pregnancy.
Benefits of Osteopathic Care
A pregnant woman goes through several health issues like morning sickness, lower back pain, insomnia and so on. However, with regular osteopathic care, you can deal with these problems more effectively. Some of the common benefits of such therapy are:
- Allow the mum to release strain from the body and relax
- Help to alleviate and prevent nausea and morning sickness during pregnancy.
- Comfort the sore muscles, especially spinal and pelvis muscles as the position of the baby might put a strain on the back
- Allow the mom’s body to adjust faster with the gradual growth of the baby inside the womb
- Help to deal with lower back pain and perform daily tasks comfortably
- Help to deal with insomnia. especially during the third trimester
- Improve body awareness and let the mum find an ideal position for a good night’s sleep
- Provide significant relief to mothers experiencing breathing issues due to added weight of the baby
Difference Between Chiropractic and Osteopathy
Both chiropractic care and osteopathy are beneficial for women during and after their pregnancies. Though they seem to be similar, they are different with respect to how the manipulations work. Osteopathic care is more gentle than chiropractic manipulation. Osteopathy promotes repetitive stretching of a particular area, whereas chiropractic care is more specific to joints (clicking-based adjustments).
Both the techniques are popular among pregnant women as they provide immense physiological benefits to both the mother and baby. However, if you want to incorporate these therapies in your pregnancy journey, discuss these options with your doctor first. Healthcare professionals are the best people to guide you with the right therapies for a successful pregnancy.
