Chiropractor for Pregnancy in Shelburne, VT
Are you expecting or planning to? Do you know someone who is? Are you delighted, terrified, or something in between? Maybe you want to be proactive and plan to have the healthiest pregnancy possible, or perhaps you are overwhelmed and already struggling, wishing you had prepared more. At Wellspring Chiropractic Lifestyle Center, we believe pregnancy is a natural part of life and that a woman’s body is designed for it. If you feel challenged or overwhelmed, let us help you figure out what is getting in the way of your body’s own wisdom, get to the cause of your problem, and reconcile that with natural solutions to give you and your baby the best chance for an optimal birth.
The pregnant mothers in our practice are concerned about things like:
- Back pain and pelvic pain from loose ligaments and a growing belly
- Headaches
- Trouble sleeping
- Low energy levels
- Hormone changes impacting loose ligaments, not to mention mood!
- Whether they have the proper nutrients for their baby, what they should and should not be eating, along with what supplements are best
- What to do about breech babies
- How they can avoid gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, blood pressure concerns, and C-sections
There are many physical and hormonal changes that happen when you are pregnant and can contribute to low back and pelvic pain. Back pain and pelvic pain typically start between the 5th and 7th month of pregnancy, with a small percentage of women experiencing pain as early as the first month. As your baby grows, it will create changes to your spine and posture that can increase the curve in your low back, creating pain and instability. It is common for your psoas muscle to shorten, further exacerbating your pain.
As you get closer to your due date, your body will release a hormone called relaxin to allow your pelvis to accommodate the birth process. This can cause instability and pain in your back, specifically your sacroiliac joints. Working with a chiropractor early in your pregnancy will allow you to catch small problems quickly and get the care that will help you minimize discomfort as your body goes through the natural process of preparing your body for birth.
Chiropractic care is a drug-free, natural solution for pregnancy pain, allowing you to avoid taking medication that could negatively impact your baby. In fact, an important study conducted by BCBS of Illlinois gave subscribers the choice of using a medical doctor for their primary care physician or a doctor of chiropractic. The study ran for seven years, analyzing over 700,000 visits, demonstrating an 85% decrease in prescription medications and a 60% decrease in in-hospital admissions. In this area of Chicago, the typical C-section rate was 22% for traditional medical care, but in seven years, the chiropractic group had ZERO C-sections.
How We Care for Pregnant Moms In Shelburne, VT
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
We start by sitting down with you to get to know you and your concerns. We will thoroughly learn all the things that have accumulated before your pregnancy that may need to be addressed so you have the best outcomes. Then we will get our hands on your spine, and your body will tell us some things. We’ll determine what specific exams we need to do to discover the cause of your concerns and to know whether we can help. We will even have you comfortably lying face down with our specially designed pregnancy pillows so we can conduct a thorough exam of your spine and nervous system.
We may use SPACE-certified technology consisting of non-invasive safe tools that will tell us about anything that may be interfering with your function so we can help your body correct it. We will evaluate the system that controls your organs, including your heart, kidneys, pancreas, endocrine, and reproductive organs. We’ll also assess the system that controls your muscles, how well you manage your current stresses, identify any imbalances, and we will even check your FEET! The integrity of your feet's arches can impact the structure and function of your pelvis and spine, and your feet will change throughout your pregnancy.
Once we know what’s going on by getting to the root cause of the problem, we will know if we can help. Then we will clarify your health goals and design a plan to take you from where you are now to the healthiest birth.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Shelburne, VT
Your brain is in charge of running everything in your body. You get to be healthy as long as messages from the brain travel down the spine, through the nerves, to every cell in your body, and back again without interference. Anything that interferes with the flow of messages can cause a breakdown in the body’s ability to function. Since we understand the map of the nervous system, we can evaluate the nerves that control vital systems related to pregnancy, such as the reproductive system, the cardiovascular system, and the systems controlling blood sugar and blood pressure.
If we find interferences called vertebral subluxations, we use light touch methods to help your body integrate the old stresses and correct the interference. This brings the body to ease, restoring function and allowing your spine and pelvis to function correctly. We take special and use specific techniques to accommodate your growing belly.
If needed, I may also attend the birth, assisting if labor stalls to help get it back on track, where momma and baby are working together for the most efficient birthing process, reducing the chances of dangerous interventions.
Most mothers who understand the importance of chiropractic care for themselves during their pregnancy and birth also want to have their newborns checked as soon as possible after birth to clear any stresses that occurred surrounding their delivery. We use gentle, age-modified techniques to remove any interferences found.
Webster Technique
Some women have concerns about their baby being breeched. The Webster Technique, while not a breech turning technique, can be applied to bring balance to the pelvis, taking stress off the uterus and ligaments, and allowing the ease needed for the baby to turn.
Supportive Procedures and Soft Tissue Work
Supportive procedures work with the muscles and posture so you hold your adjustments longer. As your pelvis and low back change, it is important to address any muscles that are being pulled or shortened. Relieving muscle tension, especially the psoas muscle, allows the spine to move properly. We use special bolsters and pads to allow you to receive care comfortably, even later in your pregnancy.
If we need to address muscular instability or imbalance to help to stabilize your low back and pelvis, we may design a custom Pregnancy Exercise Plan for you at home, so you can avoid aggravating the problem more.
Foot Arch Support
We may also check and adjust your feet, knees, or hips as needed. During pregnancy, increased weight plus hormone changes, posture changes, and ligament laxity can change the structural support the feet should provide for the stability of the rest of the spine and extremities. Altered foot biomechanics can lead to problems in not just the feet but also the knees, hips, pelvis, shoulders, and spine.
Foot Levelers Mother Nurture Program is designed for all phases of your pregnancy. In the first trimester, we must address any dysfunction you already have. After that, there are three phases to address, the second trimester, as you are starting to gain weight, the third trimester, which brings on an altered gait with weight and ligament laxity, and finally, postpartum for any changes that persist after pregnancy.
Nutritional Supplementation
Many moms have questions about what they should start eating and what they should stop eating to support the baby's health and keep themselves strong to prepare their body for birth and manage nausea, reflux, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Using ancient wisdom and modern science, we apply the best knowledge on a specific individual basis for each mom.
Common Causes of Pregnancy Pain
Pregnancy is a beautiful and transformative journey, but it can also bring a range of physical discomforts. Understanding the common causes of pregnancy pain and how to alleviate them can help you feel more comfortable during this special time.
Low Back Pain
Low back pain is one of the most common discomforts during pregnancy. Back pain arises from weight gain, posture changes, hormone changes, stress, and muscle separation. Exercise, chiropractic adjustments, stretching, and an SI belt can relieve pain. Sciatica, characterized by pain radiating down the leg due to pressure on the sciatic nerve, is also common during pregnancy. Chiropractic care can help relieve this pain by aligning the spine and reducing pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain is another common discomfort during pregnancy, caused by stretching ligaments, changing hormone levels, and organs moving around to make room for the growing uterus. Conditions like Symphysis Pubis Disorder (SPD) and round ligament pain can cause significant discomfort. 60% of women experience pain in the symphysis pubis. The hormone Relaxin relaxes the ligaments to increase the range of motion for childbirth leading to instability and pain. 10-30% of pregnant women, usually during the first and second trimester, experience achy or crampy, sharp or stabbing pain. “Growing pains,” as the round ligament stretches and tightens, are often felt when changing positions, coughing, sneezing, laughing, walking, or exercising. Knowing the difference between normal pregnancy aches and pains and warning signs of something worse is crucial. Chiropractic care can help alleviate these pains by reducing pressure on the affected areas.
Headaches
Nearly 39% of women experience pregnancy or postpartum headaches, ranging from tension headaches to cluster headaches and migraines. In the first trimester, these can be caused by hormonal changes, higher blood volume, weight changes, dehydration, nausea, stress, lack of sleep, caffeine withdrawal, poor nutrition, low blood sugar levels, insufficient physical activity, sensitivity to light, and changes in vision. In the second and third trimesters, common causes are extra weight, posture, too little sleep, diet, muscle strain and tightness, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Chiropractic adjustments and lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, can help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches during pregnancy.
Breech Babies
Proper positioning of the baby is crucial for a safe and healthy delivery. A breech baby, or a baby in a position other than head-down, can lead to complications during childbirth. Intrauterine constraints associated with changes during pregnancy that alter the uterine anatomy may contribute to breech presentations. Chiropractic care and certain exercises can help prevent a breech baby and encourage proper positioning. The Webster Technique, a chiropractic technique that balances the pelvis, can also help allow a baby to turn.
Pregnancy-Related Nausea
Nausea, commonly referred to as “morning sickness” (although, as many women will attest, it is not just confined to mornings), affects many women during pregnancy, commonly starting around week six and going to week 16. It is frequently caused by hormonal changes of the increased pregnancy hormone HCG, increased levels of estrogen and progesterone, as well as a heightened sense of smell, heartburn or GERD, excess saliva, and metallic taste. Rest, staying hydrated, avoiding triggers, and alternative methods such as acupuncture and ginger supplements can help alleviate pregnancy-related nausea.
By understanding the common causes of pregnancy pain and how to alleviate them, you can enjoy a more comfortable and joyful experience. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to address many pregnancy-related discomforts and should be considered part of your prenatal care routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Chiropractic care can be safe during pregnancy when provided by a licensed chiropractor trained to work with pregnant women.
We recommend you start seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy as early as possible, ideally before the second trimester, to address potential issues and maintain optimal spinal and pelvic alignment.
Chiropractic adjustments, prenatal yoga, massage therapy, and exercises prescribed by a healthcare provider can all help safely relieve lower back and pelvic pain during pregnancy.
While chiropractic care is not typically used to treat morning sickness, adjustments to the spine and neck can help improve nerve function and overall health, which may lead to a reduction in symptoms.
Chiropractic care, specifically the Webster Technique, has been shown to help improve pelvic alignment and potentially increase the likelihood of a baby turning from a breech position to a head-down position for a vaginal delivery.
OFFICE HOURS
Monday
2:00pm - 6:00pm
Tuesday
7:00am - 12:20pm
Wednesday
2:00pm - 6:00pm
Thursday
7:00am - 12:30pm
3:00pm - 6:00pm
Friday
Closed
Saturday
Closed
Wellspring Chiropractic Lifestyle Center
4076 Shelburne Road #5
Shelburne, VT 05482
(802) 985-9850