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Is Chiropractic Care Safe During Pregnancy?

By Stacey Rosenberg

Chiropractic care during pregnancy has been shown to be safe for both mother and baby. What we cannot see are the millions of different hormonal changes and chemical reactions occurring both in the mother and the developing baby, all of which are controlled and coordinated through the nervous system. Now more than ever, during
pregnancy you need a nervous system that responds immediately and
accurately to changing requirements in all parts of your body, and
therefore you need a healthy spine!

Chiropractic care prior to conception promotes a more regular menstrual
cycle and optimal uterine function. It prepares the body to be strong,
supple, and as balanced as possible to carry the pregnancy.
Restoring proper nerve supply to reproductive organs has helped
many couples who thought they were infertile. And adjusting women
throughout pregnancy is one of the most rewarding parts of our work,
because a healthier pregnancy means an easier labor and delivery,
and a better transition for the baby into this life.

A person’s spine is made of 24 moveable bones called vertebrae,
plus the sacrum (tailbone), pelvis, and skull. From the brain, nerve
impulses travel down the spinal cord, branch out into nerves, and
exit between the vertebrae. When the vertebrae become misaligned
or unable to move properly a condition called vertebral subluxation,
it irritates and interferes with the nerves. The message from the
brain is slowed down and the life-energy carried by the nerve is
unable to reach the organs and tissues at full potential. A doctor
of chiropractic aligns the vertebrae and pelvis through gentle
adjustments to the spine, relieving the pressure on the nerves
and allowing the full nerve energy to reach the tissues it serves.

As you gain weight, especially in the abdomen, this exerts a
downward, forward pull on the lower spine. This extra weight
combined with changes in your gait and centre of gravity can
set the stage for backache and neck pain. Additionally, as
labor approaches, your body secretes a hormone called relaxin,
which loosens ligaments. This may exaggerate the effects
of an existing spinal or pelvis problem. The positioning of the baby and its movement as well as expansion of the lower part of the ribcage to accommodate your growing baby can also cause discomfort in the ribs and upper portion of the lower back. Additionally, your increasing breast size in preparation for lactation can create upper back subluxations.

According to recent studies, chiropractic care may result in easier pregnancy including increased comfort during the third trimester and delivery and reduced need for analgesics (pain medication). In one study, women receiving chiropractic care through their first pregnancy had 24% reduction in labor times and subjects giving birth for the second or third time reported 39% reduction in shorter labor times. In another study, the need for analgesics was reduced by 50% in the patients who received adjustments. In addition, 84% of women report relief of back pain during pregnancy with chiropractic care. When women receive chiropractic care throughout pregnancy, the sacroiliac joints of the pelvis function better. As a result, there is significantly less likelihood of back labor (contractions and sharp pain felt in the lower back during labor). Chiropractic care has helped new mothers become more comfortable breastfeeding (posture-wise) as well as to produce more milk. Chiropractic care has also been shown to reduce the likelihood of postpartum depression.

As your pregnancy advances, some chiropractic techniques will need
to be modified for your comfort. Your chiropractor is aware of this and
will make the necessary changes. In particular, special pregnancy
pillows and tables with drop away pelvic pieces are used to
accommodate your growing belly. A chiropractor trained in the
techniques that address uterine constraint or mal-presentations will
check for misalignment of the pelvic bones, misalignment of the
sacrum and vertebrae, and spasm of the ligaments that support the
uterus and help hold the pelvis together.

Body position during delivery is also critical. Any late second stage
labor position that denies postural sacral rotation denies the mother
and the baby critical pelvic outlet diameter and moves the tip of the
sacrum up to four centimeters into the pelvic outlet. In other words,
the popular semi-recumbent position that places the laboring woman
on her back onto the apex of the sacrum closes off the vital space
needed for the baby to get through the pelvic outlet. This delivery
position is the main reason why so many births are traumatic, labor
is stalled, the mom becomes fatigued and overwhelmed by pain, so
the utilization of epidurals, forceps, episiotomies, vacuum extraction,
and caesarean increases. This is why squatting is the preferred
position—gravity works to help and the pelvic outlet can open to a
greater degree. Squatting during delivery results in decreased use of
forceps and a shorter second stage of labor than the semi-recumbent
position! Moreover, research has shown that coached pushing in the
second stage of labor does not improve the short-term outcome for
mothers or babies, except when the baby needs to be keep
“baby blues” at bay, regain their energy and lose the weight they
gained during pregnancy.

Studies have shown that women receiving chiropractic adjustments
during pregnancy:

• Are able to carry and deliver with more comfort
• Have a reduction in interventions during labor
• Reduce the need for analgesics during delivery by half
• Reduce the average amount of time spent in labor
• Have labor times that were 39% shorter in women who were delivering the second or
  third time.
 
About the Webster Protocol for Expectant Mothers:
By Jeannie Ohm D.C.

Chiropractic care benefits all aspects of your body's ability to be healthy. This is accomplished by working with the nervous system--the communication system between your brain and body. Doctors of Chiropractic work to correct spinal, pelvic and
cranial misalignments (subluxations). When misaligned, these structures
create an imbalance in surrounding muscles and ligaments. Additionally,
the resulting nerve system stress may affect the body's ability to function
optimally.

The Webster protocol is a specific chiropractic sacral analysis and
diversified adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the
effects of sacral subluxation/SI joint dysfunction. In so doing
neuro-biomechanical function in the pelvis is facilitated.

Dr. Larry Webster, founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric
Association discovered this adjustment as a safe means to restore
proper pelvic balance and function. In regards to pregnant mothers,
he reported that when a baby was in a breech position, the
restoration of pelvic neuro-biomechanics with this adjustment
often facilitated optimal fetal positioning. There are cases
published in the chiropractic literature that support his theory.
More research is needed and is currently underway by the ICPA.

In this clinical and theoretical framework, it is proposed that sacral misalignment may cause the tightening and torsion of specific pelvic muscles and ligaments. It is these tense muscles and ligaments and their aberrant effect on the uterus which may prevent the baby from comfortably assuming the best possible position for birth.

The Obstetric literature has determined that correct positioning of the baby in-utero affects birth outcome and decreases the potential for undue stress to the baby's developing spine and nerve system. Obstetric literature has also determined the importance of pelvic neuro-biomechanics for the prevention of dystocia (difficult birth). Chiropractic literature has determined the significance of sacral adjusting in normalizing pelvic neuro-biomechanics.

It is therefore considered prudent that this specific sacral analysis and adjustment be used throughout pregnancy to detect and alleviate sacral imbalance and optimize pelvic neuro-biomechanics. Because of the particular female adaptations from the increase of hormones, weight gain and postural adaptations, pregnant mothers have a greater chance of sacral subluxation and neuro-biomechanical imbalance than the general population. Additionally, because of the effect the chiropractic adjustment has on all body functions by reducing nerve system stress, pregnant mothers should have their spines checked regularly throughout pregnancy, optimizing health benefits for both the mother and baby.

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association offers classes of instruction and awards qualified attendees a Certificate of Proficiency in the Webster protocol. Only those doctors on our site maintain recognized certification status for the Webster protocol.

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