Chiropractic during Pregnancy

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If Chiropractic is important for everybody, then it is doubly important for a woman during her pregnancy.

Pregnancy can be a physically stressful time. It might seem like a visit to the chiropractor would be at best awkward and perhaps even physically impossible for a woman who is pregnant. However, modern technology and chiropractic technique make the chiropractic adjustment, which is necessary for everyone, a pleasant experience even for women in her third trimester. Pregnancy can create several different stresses:

On the structure of the mother’s body,

On the mother’s nerve system, and

On the baby itself.

Chiropractic can ease or eliminate all of these stresses and allow a woman to truly enjoy this special time of her life.

Stress Upon the Structure

The female body is subject to tremendous physical, emotional and chemical stress during pregnancy. However, a woman’s body is designed to adapt to these stresses very adequately, providing that all mechanisms are functioning properly. All the weight-supporting structures must adapt to the developing child. This is especially true of the spine which supports the weight of the entire body except the legs. If one or more of the bones of the spine is subluxated (out of their proper relationship), there is no way that the mother-to-be’s body can function normally, that is, from a structural standpoint. The increased weight-bearing responsibility of the body necessitates continual adaptation which can only occur if the spine is in proper alignment.

Stress Upon the Nerve System

Even more important than the structural stress is the interference caused by these subluxations to the vital nerve system of the mother. Every muscle, ligament, organ, and gland is controlled by the nerves that exit from between the bones of the spine. There are physiological and chemical changes taking place in the mother’s body starting from the moment of conception. It is important that these changes occur and that she adapt to them as quickly as possible. Vertebral subluxation, which causes nerve interference, disrupts the body’s communication system and detrimentally affects that process. It is critical that a mother- to- be do everything possible to insure her health during the entire pregnancy. Chiropractic is an important part of the process from conception until delivery.

Stress Upon the Baby

There is another very important factor to consider. It is one which every woman realizes but all too often ignores. It is the physiological relationship between the mother and the developing fetus. Every beneficial thing a pregnant woman does for herself also benefits the baby growing inside her. Conversely, every detrimental thing a woman does to herself is harmful to the baby. Good food is beneficial, a poor diet is harmful. Proper exercise and rest will produce a healthier child. For that nine-month period, the mother-to-be and developing child share everything, the good and the bad, the beneficial and the harmful.

The objective of the chiropractor is to remove interference to the nerve system which controls every body function. When the mother’s entire body is working properly, the developing fetus, which is uniquely a part of her body, will function better, grow and develop better and be delivered in the easiest and most efficient manner possible. If chiropractic is important for everybody, and it is, then it is doubly important for a woman during her pregnancy.

Written by,
Foundation For The Advancement Of Chiropractic Education