Expecting Back Pain? Here's How a Prenatal Chiropractor in Thousand Oaks CA Can Help

While pregnancy in Thousand Oaks CA is an exciting time, it also comes with a number of hardships for the mother-to-be. In addition to morning sickness, weight gain, and trouble sleeping, back pain is also a common issue.

Between 50 to 70% of women experience back pain while pregnant. If you suffered from some sort of back problem before your pregnancy, the changes your body is going through now could make the pain unbearable.

Instead of suffering, many women opt to see a prenatal chiropractor. They can work to adjust misalignments in order to ease tension in joints and muscles.

If you've tried everything and still struggle with pregnancy back pain, keep reading. We're going over prenatal chiropractic treatment and how it can help you.

Is it Safe to See a Thousand Oaks CA Chiropractor While Pregnant?

The first question many women ask is whether it's safe to see a chiropractor.

During pregnancy, you take measures to eat right, avoid certain activities, and live a healthy lifestyle. This includes keeping a close eye on the types of treatments and remedies you participate in.

Chiropractors go through extensive training and education. Part of this training is related to pregnancy. In fact, some chiropractors specialize in prenatal care.

It's important to remember this is a type of physical therapy. A licensed professional will use techniques with your pregnancy in mind. This means avoiding certain areas and only focusing on the cause of your pain.

A chiropractor can also educate you on stretches and exercises that are completely safe. Doing these on a regular basis will help ease the tension in your back.

If you're experiencing any complications associated with pregnancy, you should visit your doctor. Ask them if they feel chiropractic treatment is advisable for your situation.

Why You May Need Chiropractic Care While Pregnant

Your body goes through both physical and hormonal changes throughout your pregnancy. Many of these changes affect your posture, balance, and comfort.

In addition, as your baby grows, you'll experience weight gain. Your body will also undergo a shift in its center of gravity.

Both of these things can be detrimental to your posture and cause back pain and general discomfort. They may also cause your joints and spine to become misaligned.

The curve of your back is likely to increase during the later stages of pregnancy due to your abdomen growing. Your pelvis also undergoes changes as it prepares for labor. These are other contributing factors to back pain.

Chiropractic treatment can help re-balance your center of gravity. It can also realign your spine and pelvis. Not only does this provide comfort, but it may also free up room for the baby.

Let's break down the full scope of the benefits this treatment will provide.

Benefits of Seeing a Prenatal Chiropractor

It's likely your main concern is alleviating your back pain. It's understandable, as it can make everyday tasks harder and affect your sleep. Back pain while pregnant can also put unwanted stress on other areas of your body.

However, in addition to reducing pain, chiropractic treatment carries with it a number of other benefits. Some of these benefits are directly related to your pregnancy and even your unborn baby.

Pain Relief

Pregnancy is very hard on your body. It puts a strain on your entire skeletal structure. This strain gets increasingly worse as your baby grows.

A chiropractor will assess the areas your experiencing pain and determine the best approach. This may include realignment of the spine to improve your posture or applying pressure to a specific region to decrease stress on joints and muscles.

A chiropractor can also provide massage therapy. This technique helps to relax the muscles in your lower back and ease that stress everyday activities can cause. Massage therapy also helps improve blood flow and can even improve your emotional state.

Boost Your Immune System

One of the primary functions of chiropractic treatment is to eliminate the tension surrounding nerves along the spine. This allows the body to heal properly by creating a smooth line of communication between the brain and body via the spinal cord.

This release of tension can have a positive impact on your immune system. And remember, what's good for you is good for your baby.

By keeping your immune system healthy, you're ensuring your unborn baby stays strong and develops without any complications.

Relieve Other Symptoms Related to Pregnancy

In addition to pain relief, chiropractic care can also help with some of the many uncomfortable symptoms of pregnancy.

Sometimes misaligned vertebrae can cause pinched nerves in the back. If bad enough, a pinched nerve can cause nausea, vomiting, and persistent headaches. Having an adjustment performed will help relieve the pinched nerve and ease related symptoms.

If you're suffering from morning sickness, massage therapy is a great way to ease tension and relax the entire body. This helps reduce the symptoms of morning sickness and also takes your mind off it.

Preparation for Birth

When your pelvis and spine aren't properly aligned, it affects the amount of space the baby has inside the womb. This, in turn, can affect the position of the baby.

Chiropractic care can help restore a natural position by providing more room for the baby. This cuts down of the chance of your baby getting into a sideways or breech position leading up to labor.

Easier Labor

Having alignments performed on your back and pelvis ensures all the nerves in your body are free of stress and all organs and muscles are healthy. These things make the process of labor much easier.

Being in the best shape possible is very important for mothers who don't want to rely on drugs during birth. Ensuring your spine is aligned will help the process go much smoother and can even decrease the amount of time you're in labor.

Make Things Easier for Yourself

While pregnant, your body is taking on an extremely difficult task. This is why you go through so much discomfort for nine months.

Do yourself a favor and see a prenatal chiropractor to alleviate back pain and help you stay as healthy as possible leading up to birth.

We provide a wide range of chiropractic services in Thousand Oaks CA. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.