During pregnancy, a woman's body begins producing generous amounts of progesterone, estrogen, human placental lactogen (hPL), and other hormones essential for supporting fetal and maternal health. Along with this flood of pregnancy, hormones comes their side effects that can make all three trimesters uncomfortable for mothers. Weight gain, constipation, swollen ankles, headaches, and joint/back pain are some of the most common complaints of pregnant women experiencing surges of hormones.
For relieving uncomfortable but normal signs of pregnancy without relying on over-the-counter medications, women depend on Dr. Driver at Driver Chiropractic for prenatal chiropractic care in Columbus. A graduate of Logan College of Chiropractic and a board-certified doctor of physiotherapy and chiropractic (D.C.), Dr. Driver provides holistic, evidence-based health care for women throughout their pregnancy and post-pregnancy.
Call our office today to schedule a consultation appointment with Dr.Driver about the benefits of prenatal chiropractic care.
In addition to extra weight putting more stress on your lower body joints, a hormone called relaxin contributes to stiff, sore joints by loosening pelvic ligaments in preparation for childbirth. Without the firm support normally provided by pelvic and hip muscles and ligaments, your hip and knee joints will take on more pressure from pregnancy weight gain.
Pregnant women can also blame tailbone pain on the hormone relaxin. The looser your pelvic ligaments become as your due date gets closer, the tighter your pelvic floor muscles start contracting. Since your tailbone is connected to the pelvic floor muscles, this contraction is the main reason behind tailbone pain.
Weight gain, expansion of the uterus, fluid retention, and the shifting of your body's center of gravity can cause sciatica (compression of the sciatic nerve). Unlike the dull throbbing of lower back pain, sciatica pain is a sharp, radiating pain that begins in the lower back and extends down the back of your legs.
Fortunately, sciatica is typically a temporary pregnancy condition that resolves itself following childbirth. However, sciatica is one of the more uncomfortable realities of pregnancy and can be more painful than back, hip, or tailbone pain.
Gentle spinal adjustments can be repeated throughout your pregnancy to treat sacroiliac joint pain in your lower back. Adjustments do this by increasing the amount of space between vertebrae to eliminate nerve compression caused by misalignment of the spine. Realignment of the spine can also help reduce headaches.
Leading prenatal chiropractor in Columbus, Dr. Dylan Driver teaches pregnant women how to do specific stretches and exercises to improve their strength and endurance during childbirth. These exercises also promote healthy fetal positioning to avoid problems with breech births.
This is especially important for women who want to enjoy natural childbirth without epidurals or pain medication. By monitoring your baby's positioning in the womb, Dr. Driver can employ safe and effective chiropractic techniques to ensure your baby is descending into the birth canal normally.
Chiropractic care for women at all stages of their pregnancy takes a holistic, whole-body approach to the physical and emotional issues affecting pregnant women. In addition to adjustments, Dr. Driver will also talk to you about nutritional plans, dietary supplements beneficial to you and your baby, and prenatal lifestyle choices to support the healthiest pregnancy possible.
Contact Driver Chiropractic today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Driver. Whether you have just learned you are pregnant or are just a few months away from your delivery date, it is never too late to start improving your health and your baby's health with prenatal chiropractic treatments.