Back pain and pregnancy often go hand in hand & it’s no wonder!!

Mechanical and chemical changes during pregnancy frequently create back and neck pain

• You’re gaining weight and distributing it differently (“changing body morphology”)
• You’re walking in a new way.
• Your hormones are relaxing the muscles and ligaments throughout your body, allowing joint and pelvic instability
• There is increased demand and fatigue on spinal/pelvic muscles
• Increased stress on spinal/pelvic ligaments
• Increase stress on spinal curves

Increased joint stress creating mechanical overload

WE ARE EXPERTS PROVIDING EFFECTIVE RELIEF OF PREGNANCY-RELATED BACK & NECK PAIN

We are utilized as a trusted referral source by many local area OB/GYN specialists.

We enjoy working with pregnant patients!! WHY?

• Patients are open to diet and lifestyle advice during pregnancy.
• Patients don’t want to take pain medication
• Care gives patients ability to function with less pain.
• Our specialized treatment is VERY helpful in relieving the many symptoms of pregnancy

From advice on good posture and exercise to manual therapy, we consider all appropriate NATURAL ways to relieve pregnancy-related back pain.

We can treat — and help prevent — back and other pregnancy related pain with simple self-care strategies and complementary manual therapies. These are

• SAFE
• GENTLE
• NON-INVASIVE / NON-DRUG

Other Pregnancy-related common complaints / injuries helped with our specialized treatment:

• KNEE PAIN (anterior cruciate ligament, patellofemoral dysfunction),
• FOOT PROBLEMS (plantar fasciitis),
• LEG PAIN (iliotibial band friction syndrome),
• SHOULDER INJURIES (tendonitis / bursitis / tendonopathy).

WHY? These are common injury patterns seen in women due to structural uniqueness (wider pelvis, larger quadriceps angle (knock-knee) and foot pronation (flat feet).

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (“CTS”):

• Pregnancy causes an increase in CTS symptoms or new symptom onset.
• CTS is most commonly caused by overuse of the wrist coupled with poor body mechanics.
• Symptoms associated with pregnancy are not necessarily connected to work or other activities (but may aggravate the symptoms).
• Pregnancy-related symptoms are caused by the increase in fluid retention and ligament laxity.
  This allows for more swelling in the carpal tunnel, compromising space.
  additional pressure on the blood vessels and nerves produce the symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, etc

We help with alleviating symptoms with appropriate treatment interventions:

• Advice on stretches and exercises for the wrist
• Advice on Ice or heat compresses
• Advice on correct support braces
• Therapeutic ultrasound to decrease swelling if necessary
• Manipulation of the wrist is sometimes beneficial to ensure that all the bones in the wrist are in correct alignment.
• Myofascial / massage / Graston techniques

What about after the baby is born?

• Mid back pain is common in post-partum mothers (as well as care-givers)
• The continuous need for the newborn to be held
• Engorged breast tissue, rounded shoulder posture,
• Ergonomic compromises with lifting and carrying infants and small children / multi-tasking.
• Postural changes result in mid back and neck pain
  • Reversal of the neck curve
  • Extension of the head on the neck
  • Bending forward of the lower back.

THE EVIDENCE: Did you know….

• Majority of pregnant women will have lower back and pelvic pain (LBPP).
  Mogren, I.M. and A.I. Pohjanen, Low back pain and pelvic pain during pregnancy: prevalence and risk factors. Spine, 2005. 30(8): p. 983-91.
• More than 5% of pregnant women seek chiropractic care – by far the most commonly used complementary / alternative therapy.
  Ranzini A, Allen A, Lai Y Use of complementary medicines and therapies among obstetric patients ObstetGynecol 2001;97(4 Suppl 1):S46.
• > 50% of (North Carolina) nurse-midwives surveyed recommended chiropractic to their patients.
  Allaire AD, Moos MK, Wells SR Complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy: a survey of North Carolina certified nurse-midwives. Obstet Gynecol 2000 Jan;95(1):19-23.
• Chiropractic, acupuncture, and stabilizing exercises (include stretching and massage) each can improve Low Back & Pelvic Pain in pregnant women
  Lisi, A.J., Chiropractic spinal manipulation for low back pain of pregnancy: a retrospective case series. J Midwifery Womens Health, 2006. 51(1): p. e7-10.
  Elden, H., et al., Effects of acupuncture and stabilising exercises as adjunct to standard treatment in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain: randomised single blind controlled trial. BMJ, 2005. 330(7494): p. 761.
• Chiropractic Care Staves Off Pregnancy-Related Back Pain, is safe and effective
  Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. Jan 2006;51:e7-10
• There is significantly less likelihood of back labor in a woman who had had chiropractic care
  Diakow PR, Gadsby TA, Gadsby JB, Gleddie JG, Leprich DJ, Scales AM. Back pain during pregnancy and labor. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1991 Feb;14(2):116-118.

While Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) might be safe to use during pregnancy, other pain relievers — including aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) — are not. Remember – check with your health care provider before taking any medication to treat your back pain.

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