Chiropractic for Pregnancy

As a fully trained and insured Chiropractor I am able to see pregnant patients from day one of pregnancy, there's no need to wait until the 2nd trimester. It is completely safe and natural to have Chiropractic adjustments whilst pregnant and treatments will be adapted as you go through the pregnancy. A pregnancy cushion will be provided to allow you to lay on your front with plenty of room for bump.

Why would a pregnant woman see a chiropractor?

I commonly see pregnant females who are in pain. Whilst a certain level of discomfort is expected during pregnancy, I feel that a lot of women put up with much more than they should have to! The integrity of the musculo-skeletal system is dependent upon good tone of the muscles and ligaments which provide support and strength to the body. During the first trimester, the levels of the hormone relaxin are higher, which can have the effect of making the ligaments less taught. This is turn can result in pelvic and spinal misalignments which results in pain and difficultly moving. Chiropractic treatment aims to realign the pelvis and spine which helps to alleviate a lot of the pain and discomfort.

With the increase in weight during pregnancy there can be added stress to the joint at the front of the pelvis called the pubic symphysis, this is often called pelvic girdle pain (PGP). It can be excruciating and can affect the ability to walk, crutches are often useful at this time. I find that adjusting the pelvis and pubic symphysis helps to reduce this pain and provides more stability in the pelvis.
Chiropractic care for the pregnant female is safe and effective and can also help relax muscles which have become tight due to the added pressures and weight gain.

A 2018 study of 115 pregnant women who underwent manual therapy for common pregnancy symptoms found:

“Manual treatment successfully treated pregnancy symptoms in 79.1% of patients.
Conclusion: Manual therapy in pregnancy is a drugless, etiological, usually highly effective therapy. It is a low cost, rapid, safe, and well-tolerated treatment for pregnancy symptoms which frequently has an immediate effect, thus making it an optimal treatment for pregnancy symptoms.”

Source: Skarica B et al. Effectiveness of Manual Treatment on Pregnancy Symptoms: Usefulness of Manual Treatment in Treating Pregnancy Symptoms. Med Arch. 2018 Apr;72(2):131-135. doi: 10.5455/medarh.2018.72.131-135.

Other conditions which may be helped with Chiropractic treatment during pregnancy are lower back pain, hip pain, groin pain, neck pain, mid back pain, rib pain, pubic symphysis dysfunction and sciatica (pain down the leg). In my experience it has been reassuring for pregnant patients to know that their spine and pelvis are aligned in preparation for birth, which can be helpful for a straightforward delivery.

Treatment

Treatment for the pregnant patient will be adapted to allow for the bump, there will be no pressure applied to the abdomen or lower back and I will ensure you are comfortable throughout the session.

Advice

The advice I give you will depend on what your condition is, I will be relying on you to follow the advice to make the treatment more successful.

What my patients say

Robyn M.

"Having visited the clinic and seeing the chiropractor Bella I am really happy with the treatment and service received. Suffering with my back and rib pain during pregnancy has been hard and Bella has helped ease some of this pain."