Pregnancy, Low Back Pain, and Chiropractic.
Hey everyone!!
Dr. Brynn here to talk pregnancy and Chiropractic. Starting off strong and honest, I have never been pregnant before. Perhaps one day, but for now, our practice and our beloved dog, Ruby, are my babies.
Now, maybe your thinking, "Dr. Brynn, why should I come see you then?" Well, simply put, just because I have never been pregnant doesn't mean I have not been around, helped with, or treated pregnant women as a Chiropractor. I have been lucky in my time at Palmer and during Internship to get that experience.
Now let's get honest about pregnancy.
Pregnancy is already hard enough, right? Your body doesn't feel like your own anymore, you're constantly being hit with a new emotion you never knew you had, and everything changes every. single. week. Am I getting this right? It's a beautiful and uncomfortable moment in a women's life. It also seems that everyone has a different experience, which can sometimes lead to guilt because of it (unfairly I might add).
Along with pregnancy, other issues come up like sciatica or low back pain. Turns out, about 40-80% of pregnant women experience low back pain. It typically starts between the fifth and seventh months (1-4). Unfortunately, 40% of women have low back pain six months postpartum with 20% continuing on for 3 years (4). Most of the time the low back pain is not from a structural issue like disc lesion, rather it is from a combination of functional stressors. What do I mean by "Functional Stressor"? I mean weight gain, gait changes, and posture changes in combination with hormones (like Relaxin) that cause ligmentous laxity (6).
There is good news, though!
Studies showed that 75% of women who receive chiropractic care have had significant reduction in pain and improvement in disability. It was reported that chiropractic care is ten times better than watchful waiting. It was also shown that moderate aerobic exercise for 150 minutes a week during pregnancy can also be helpful (4).
At Wurth Chiropractic, we focus on neuromusculoskeletal health; meaning, we work with all things related to joints of the body, particularly the spine. Low back pain as a result from pregnancy falls right in our wheelhouse.
In addition to adjusting and treating, we will also co-manage with your primary MD/DO/PT. A lot of mommas can be safely adjusted up until delivery. We also supplement with exercises to take pressure off your low back, work on pelvic floor muscles for a *hopefully* easier labor and strengthen up your core muscles because that is the center of your movement.
Birth plans and goals are important, so creating those and fostering a positive experience at our clinic and during your birth!
So all in all, we have the tools at Wurth Chiropractic to help you during your pregnancy! If you have any questions, please reach out and we would love to help in anyway we can!
See you all soon and stay healthy!
Dr. Brynn
References:
1. Wu WH, Meijer OG, Uegaki K, Mens JM, Van Dieen JH, Wuisman PI, Östgaard HC. Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPP), I: Terminology, clinical presentation, and prevalence. European Spine Journal. 2004 Nov 1;13(7):575-89.
2. Diakow P.R.P., Gadsby T.A., Gadsby J.B., Gleddie J.G., Leprich D.J., Scales A.M. Back pain during pregnancy and labor. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1991;14(2):116–118
3. Hall J, Cleland JA, Palmer JA. The effects of manual physical therapy and therapeutic exercise on peripartum posterior pelvic pain: two case reports. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy. 2005 Apr 1;13(2):94-102
4. Schwerla F, Et. Al. Osteopathic manipulative therapy in women with postpartum low back pain and disability: a pragmatic randomized control trial. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2015 Jul;115(7):416-25.
5. Sadr, S., Pourkiani-Allah-Adbad, N., Stuber, K. The Treatment Experience of Patients with Low Back Pain During Pregnancy and Their Chiropractors: a qualitative study. Chiropr Man Therap. 20, 32 (2012).
6. George JW, Skaggs CD, Thompson PA, Nelson DM, Gavard JA, Gross GA. A randomized controlled trial comparing a multimodal intervention and standard obstetrics care for low back and pelvic pain in pregnancy. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 2013 Apr 1;208(4):295-e1
