About Chiropractic

Chiropractic Care for Pregnancy, Birth, and Your Baby

Have you always been that person who only thinks of chiropractic care for back pain? Yes, chiropractic can be great for back and neck pain, but it is also very useful for other issues in fertility, pregnancy and newborns.

Chiropractic Care Defined

Chiropractic medicine involves the care and maintenance of the spinal column and other joints in the body. A chiropractor is skilled in adjusting misaligned joints to reduce nerve stress, especially in the spine. The spine houses the nerves that serve as the main communication ways between the brain and the rest of the body, including the reproductive system. Therefore, keeping the spine and other joints aligned and the nerves free of impingement can actually help promote overall health and help the entire body to work more effectively.

Pregnancy and Chiropractic

Pregnancy changes many things in the body, including the alignment of the spine, the position of the pelvis, posture, and the elasticity of the ligaments and joints. Being pregnant itself can be a cause of back pain never experienced before by a soon-to-be mom. Getting chiropractic adjustments is a natural way of working with your body to relieve the pain associated with the changes in pregnancy. It can help keep the pelvis aligned, maximizing the room in the uterus available to the growing baby and making it easier for the baby to get into optimal birthing position. Having regular adjustments can even reduce the time of labor and delivery or can help prevent a potential cesarean section by keeping the pelvis in the optimal position for birth, by making certain that the pelvis is as open as possible for the passage of the baby and that the baby can maneuver itself into the best position for birth.

There are no known contraindications to chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. All chiropractors are trained to adjust women who are pregnant, and some take additional training in the areas of fertility and pregnancy wellness. Those who specialize in prenatal treatments may even have a special table for the growing belly of a pregnant woman.

Helping Breech Babies

Chiropractors can actually help a breech baby to turn using special techniques and adjustments, such as the Webster technique. If a baby presents in a breech position at or later than 37 weeks, it can become a concern, and it is recommended that the mother try different therapies to turn the baby. The Webster Technique has had a reported 82% success rate in assisting breech babies to turn by relieving in-utero constraint so the baby has the most space to turn naturally.

Kids and Chiropractic

Children and babies can also benefit from chiropractic adjustments. The birth process itself is one of the most stressful experiences a child can go through, sometimes resulting in misalignment and distortion in the spine and nervous system. Even emotional stress or a minor fall in a child can create stored trauma to the spine that can lead to problems in the future. A child or baby who is having difficulty sleeping, breastfeeding, crawling or walking, who has constipation, colic, failure to thrive, asthma, allergies, attention deficit, visual or auditory disturbances, prolonged or repetitive illness, or hormonal imbalances may benefit from chiropractic therapies.

Chiropractors each have their own individual style of adjustment and tools they can use to help. It is best to consult first with a recommended chiropractor before getting adjusted. To find a chiropractor in your area, visit our Directory of Professionals. For more information on how chiropractic care might be able to help you, visit our Articles section, post a question in our Forum, or browse through our Blog.

Some of the information on this page was provided by Drs. Joe and Stacey Merlo, DC, chiropractors specializing in chiropractic treatments for pregnant women and children. For more information on Drs. Merlo and their practice, click here.