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142 Erickson Drive Red Deer, Alberta T4R 2C3

Prenatal and Postnatal Chiropractic Care in Red Deer

pregnant woman getting chiropractic care


Back pain is a common reason for prenatal chiropractic visits to our office. Pregnant women choosing chiropractic care during pregnancy, may benefit from The Webster Technique and decreased levels of back and/or sciatic nerve pain, decreased posterior pelvic pain, decreased pubic symphysis pain, and decreased pain in the mid-back and rib-cage areas. Many women also report improvement in headaches and an increased overall sense of well-being while under chiropractic care in pregnancy.

Many of the uncomfortable symptoms that many women experience in pregnancy can be treated and ideally prevented with chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective option to manage biomechanical challenges that are often associated with the many changes your body goes through in pregnancy.

pregnant woman holding belly

Some common conditions of pregnancy that chiropractic care can help treat:
  • Low back pain - Low back experienced during pregnancy are related to postural and center of gravity changes. This pain is biomechanical and soft tissue in nature and respond very well to chiropractic care.
  • Sciatic Pain – Postural changes, increased the lumbar spinal curve (hyper-lordosis) and center of gravity changes with relaxation of the ligaments in the spine and pelvis can cause increase pressure on the sciatic nerve causing leg pain and buttock pain. Symptoms include back pain, radiating leg pain into the calves, thigh and buttocks.
  • Hip pain/bursitis - Postural changes with the expansion of the pelvis to accommodate baby’s growth with increased lumbar spinal curve (hyper-lordosis) and center of gravity may cause hip pain and many mothers complain of the hips burning, especially when laying on the side when sleeping.
  • SI (Sacroiliac) joint pain - Relaxation of the ligaments from hormonal changes with center of gravity changes in the spine and pelvis can cause increase pain in the SI joints.
  • Headaches - Most headaches experienced during pregnancy are muscle tension type headaches related to postural changes. These headaches are soft tissue and biomechanical in nature and respond very well to chiropractic care.
  • Groin pain and meralgia paresthetica - This condition is a result of pressure on the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve which provides sensation to the skin of the upper lateral thigh. Increased abdominal weight and pressure as well as an increased lumbar curvature can place additional pressure in the area of the nerve which leads to pain, numbness and tingling in the area of the lateral upper thigh. The pubic bone may also have pain and discomfort with this. Chiropractors commonly treat this condition successfully.
  • Pubic bone pain – Symphysis pubic Dysfunction SPD This condition occurs when the pubic symphysis begins to separate or shifts slightly out of its normal alignment. It can cause a great deal of pain at the pubic bone region and is often aggravated by lifting one leg. It can also make it difficult to walk or to stand up from a sitting position. The symphysis pubis is always evaluated when a pregnancy chiropractor evaluates the pelvis as it plays a key role in the pelvis’s ability to adapt to pregnancy and to return to its normal state after delivery. SPD or pain in this area is usually very easily resolved with chiropractic care and in fact, should not be left without evaluation and/or treatment.
  • Pelvic Girdle Pain PGP Pelvic - girdle pain (abbreviated PGP) is a pregnancy discomfort that causes pain, instability and limitation of mobility and functioning in any of the three pelvic joints.
  • Mid back pain - Many women complain of mid to low back pain due to the forward postural strains as baby grows in the pelvis.
  • Rib pain/numbness and intercostal neuralgia - Intercostal neuralgia is neuropathic pain involving the intercostal nerves. These are the nerves that arise from the spinal cord, below the ribs. Intercostal neuralgia tends to cause thoracic pain, which affects your chest wall and upper trunk. This is often caused by postural changes in pregnancy.
  • Coccydinia/tailbone pain - This condition is a painful coccyx/tailbone.) The coccyx can become irritated and painful in pregnancy. This is especially evident in the third trimester. Women who have had trauma in this region prior to pregnancy may have a higher chance of noticing pain in the later stages of pregnancy. An adjustment of the coccyx and sacrum is often required and can be safely and successfully performed by the chiropractor.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome of pregnancy - Carpal tunnel syndrome, commonly associated with repetitive wrist movements, is also increased during pregnancy. Symptoms can include numbness and tingling of the hand and fingers as well as achiness in the forearm and neck.
  • Pregnancy related postural changes - As your baby grows your body needs to accommodate these changes and you may feel discomfort in different areas of your body such as feet, knees, hips, low back, or SI joints. Many factors can contribute to these conditions such as weight gain and postural changes of pregnancy. Post-birth postural and habitual changes also play an immense role in your body’s ability to recover.

pregnant woman holding belly


Postpartum conditions:

  • Low back pain - Low back experienced during pregnancy are related to postural and center of gravity changes. After giving birth this changes dramatically in a short period of time often causing low back pain during the postpartum period. This pain is biomechanical and soft tissue in nature and respond very well to chiropractic care.
  • Disc irritation/bulge - Some women may experience postpartum disc pain and injury possibly form childbirth, or repetitive postural changes
  • Neck pain/ nursing neck and mid back pain - Since delivery, you find yourself constantly hunching forward as you feed or carry your newborn. All of your new daily activities seem to revolve around looking over your beautiful new baby. Symptoms can be burning neck and midback pain, soreness when nursing, tired and weak muscles, hand tingling and numbness to name a few.
  • Carpal tunnel Syndrome and wrist pain - Carpal tunnel syndrome, commonly associated with repetitive wrist movements. Symptoms can include numbness and tingling of the hand and fingers as well as achiness in the forearm and neck. Chiropractic adjustments applied to the cervical spine and wrist regions can assist and treat CTS.
  • Costcovertebral neuralgia - Intercostal neuralgia is neuropathic pain involving the intercostal nerves. These are the nerves that arise from the spinal cord, below the ribs. Intercostal neuralgia tends to cause thoracic pain, which affects your chest wall and upper trunk. This is often caused by postural changes in pregnancy and then may continue with sitting and feeding your newborn.
  • Coccydinia/tailbone pain - This condition is a painful coccyx/tailbone. The coccyx can become irritated and painful during childbirth and delivery. Women who have had trauma in this region prior to pregnancy may have a higher chance of noticing pain postpartum. An adjustment of the coccyx and sacrum is often required and can be safely and successfully performed by the chiropractor.
  • Diastasis recti - Diastasis recti is a fairly common condition of pregnancy and postpartum in which the right and left halves of Rectus Abdominis muscle spread apart at the body’s midline fascia, the linea alba. Widening and thinning of the midline tissue occurs in response the force of the uterus pushing against the abdominal wall, in conjunction with pregnancy hormones that soften connective tissue. A midline of more than 2 to 2.5 finger-widths, or 2 centimeters, is considered problematic. Diastasis recti can occur anytime in the last half of pregnancy but is most commonly seen after pregnancy when the abdominal wall is lax and the thinner midline tissue no longer provides adequate support for the torso and internal organs.

Resources:

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Pediatric
Edinburgh Postpartum depression scale
Birth Trauma
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