PREGNANCY

chiropractic and pregnancy care

It is a common observation that birthing is more comfortable for women who were under chiropractic care during pregnancy. The following studies mention how common spinal problems (causing pregnancy symptoms) are resolved during pregnancy (up to 90%) and best of all, how Chiropractic is safe, effective, and drug free; ideally suited for the health and well being of both mother and child.

The role of chiropractic in pregnancy. Vallone S. Int’l Chiropractic Assn. Review Summer 2002. p 47-51

“By encouraging regular chiropractic and maternal self care (which includes good nutrition, regular stretching and exercise, and stress management) we can improve our patient’s probability of a successful natural delivery”

Complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy: a survey of North Carolina certified nurse-midwives. Allaire AD, Moos WK, Wells SR. Obstet Gynecol 2000; 95 (1):19-23.

In this survey of 82 certified nurse-midwives, 93.39% reported they recommended patients to alternative health care providers. 57.3% said they referred women to chiropractors.

Follow-up of patients with low back pain during pregnancy.Brynhildsen J, Hansson A, Persson A, Hammar M. In: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Feb 1998; 9(12): 182-6.

Women with severe low back pain during pregnancy have an extremely high risk of experiencing both new episodes of more severe low back pain during future pregnancies and when not pregnant.

Note: According to revised guidelines from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, vaginal delivery should be routine in women who previously underwent cesarean section birth, Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, Feb. 1989, Vol. 89 No. 2, p. 164.

An effective drug-free approach to premature contractions. Phillips C. ICA Review Oct. 1998.

Dr. Carol Phillips has done an amazing job of integrating chiropractic with CranioSacral T therapy to develop a number of techniques to help women in labor and pregnancy. Using simple procedures, she teaches healthcare providers unique methods of helping their pregnant patients and young children.

She writes:

“What is it about chiropractic care and pregnancy? Why do so many women who receive care during pregnancy always ask us, “How in the world do other women get through pregnancy without adjustments?”.“

This paper presents a simple procedure doctors can teach spouses and birth assistants in order to prevent and correct “one of the most serious complaints associated with imbalance - premature contractions”.

Back Labor: a possible solution for a painful situation. Phillips C. ICA Review. July/ August 1997.

50-75% of pregnant women experience acute, severe, low back pain categorized as back labor. Dr. Phillips writes: “many first time mothers mistakenly think back labor is what childbirth is supposed to feel like. Let me assure you IT SHOULD NOT.” Dr. Phillips offers a biomechanical approach to back labor. She states, “Back labor is not a very common finding in patients who have received chiropractic and craniosacral therapy throughout pregnancy.”

Dr. Phillips offers approaches to help the baby turn, to prevent back labor. She also provides methods that a chiropractor, labor companion, or any birth assistant may use to help a women in labor relax the pelvis, reduce pelvic tension, and permit a back labor presentation to turn the baby to a more natural position for delivery.

Hypolumbarlordosis: a predisposing factor for preeclampsia. Kanayama N. Maradny EE, Kajiwara Y. et al. European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproduction Biology, 1997; 75:115-121.

About 1 in 200 pregnant women suffer from preeclampsia with hypertension and albuminaria (protein in urine) and which can lead to seizures, coma, and death. No one knows what causes it.

The authors studied pregnant women to see if there was a relationship between their spinal shape, particularly the lumbar (lower back) spinal shape and preeclampsia. It was revealed that women with decreased lumbar spine curves had more preeclampsia. Interestingly, they also found patients with reduced lumbar curves had decreased blood flow to the iliac artery compared with normal pregnant women.

Case history: premature labor. Cohen Eddy. D.C., F.I.C.A. Chiropractic Pediatrics Vol. 1 No. 4, May 1995.

A chiroparctor’s wife experienced premature labor at 32 weeks of gestation. She was diagnosed with severe endometriosis resulting in inflammation of the ovaries and was informed she would never be able to become pregnant; recommendation for treatment was laparoscopic surgery.

Patient refused treatment. She went to a hospital where the M.D.s wished to inject oxytocin to stop her contractions. The author writes:

“While at the hospital, the patient’s husband adjusted her. The intensity of the contractions decreased somewhat. However, the contractions maintained the same frequency of every fiver minutes.” She was then adjusted C-2, using the toggle recoil technique. Contractions reduced markedly and then discontinued completely. “Patient continued with weekly adjustments until the occurrence of labor and delivery at 40 weeks gestation, with no complications. The patient’s newborn infant was checked and adjusted 20 hours after the birth.”

Some preterm labor may have neurologic conditions that respond to correcting/ reducing vertebral subluxation complex. Chiropractic and prenatal reference manual. Peet, JB, The Baby Adjusters, Inc. 1992. Shelburne, VT.

The effects of chiropractic treatment of pregnancy and labor: a comprehensive study. Fallon J. Proceedings of the world chiropractic congress. 1991; 24-31.

The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can change the shape of the spinal curves and overall posture which can affect organ systems.

In this study, Dr. Fallon describes her work with 65 women who received chiropractic care from at least the tenth week of pregnancy through labor and delivery. These women experienced mean labor times significantly reduced compared to controls.

Women who were primagravidae (first pregnancy) who received chiropractic care averaged 24% shorter labor times than average for primagravidae women.

Women who were multiparous (had at least one child prior) averaged 39% shorter labor times versus controls.

Adjustive procedures for the pregnant chiropractic patinet. Esch S., Zachman Z. Chiropractic Technique. May 1991; 3(2): 66-71.

This is a discussion of the technique and modifications needed to facilitate spinal adjustments for the pregnant patient. The authors used pillows under the abdomen and flexed the knees while prone to reduce stress on the low back.

Back pain during pregnancy and labor. Diakow, PRP, Gadsby, TA, Gadsby JB et al. J Manipulative Physiol Ther Vol. 14, No. 2 Feb. 1991.

From the abstract:

An interview of 170 consecutive female patients: of the 170 pregnancies with reported back pain, 72% also reported back labor…The treated group experienced less pain during labor.

84% of patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy reported relief of back pain during pregnancy. There was significantly less likelihood of back labor when spinal manipulative therapy was administered during pregnancy.

The effect of chiropractic treatment on pregnancy and labor: a comprehensive study. Falllon J. New York, NY: Yeshiva University. From 1991, World Chiropractic Congress Abstracts.

One half of all pregnant women complain to their obstetricians about backache (LeBan et al. 1983); it can be demonstrated that chiropractic care significantly reduces the mean labor time.

Chiropractic and pregnancy, a partnership for the future. Fallon J. ICA Review Nov/Dec 1990. Pp. 39-42.

This paper discusses neurological conditions associated with subluxation in pregnancy: brachia neuralgia, compression of the brachial plexus causing tingling and numbness in the shoulder and arm; neuralgia paresthetica, compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve causing pain and paresthesia of the thigh; intercostal neuralgia, compression of the intercostal nerves causing radiating pain between the ribs; sciatic neuralgia, compression of lumbar plexus causing pain of the pelvic region and/or radiating down leg; coccydynia, pain at site of coccyx; separation of the symphysis pubis, causing pain at the symphysis pubis and SI joint; carpal tunnel syndrome, compression of median nerve; Bell’s Palsy, compression of CN VII causing paralysis of facial muscles; traumatic neuritis, motor and sensory deficits of L5, S1, and S2 after labor.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy. Webster L, Today’s Chiropractic Sept/ Oct 1989.

Dr. Webster writes:

Perhaps the best testimonial to the effectiveness of chiropractic care during pregnancy can best be summed up in my own personal experience while I was a student at Logan College. During my wife’s first pregnancy, she received regular chiropractic care. During her second pregnancy she did not (due to the fact that I was overseas). Her medical doctor (who incidentally was anti-chiropractic) made this statement: “I hate to admit it, but I can tell the difference in you. Would you find someone to give you chiropractic care?”

Pregnancy and chiropractic care. Penna M, American Chiropractic Association Journal of Chiropractic. Nov. 1989 p. 31.

From summary:

“Regular adjustments can make pregnancy less stressful and delivery less uncomfortable. Chiropractic treatment can continue safely until the day of delivery.”

Labor pain: correlations with menstrual pain and acute low-back pain before and during pregnancy. Melzack R, Belanger E. Pain, 1989, 36:225-229.

Viscerosomatic reflexes may be responsible for low back pain during birth. Low back pain was significantly correlated with labor pain. Both menstrual pain and the increased labor pain may derive from the same mechanisms.