Why do new moms need chiropractic care after giving birth? The physical and hormonal changes … weight gain and distribution, joint and ligament pain, and strains on the pelvis and spine during pregnancy … the torquing and tension of the birthing process. These pregnancy and birthing gymnastics put your body through some serious motherhood olympics. All those pressures and stressors need a release valve. That’s where postpartum chiropractic comes in.
Consider what’s been going on in just the lower half of your body for the past 9 months or so:
- Ligaments that were loosened by the hormone relaxin to prepare you for childbirth are tightening back up now. This action can easily cause your joints to misalign.
- You’re feeling the general stress on the spine and pelvis from baby’s growth and weight in your ligaments (the connective tissue that stretches across bones and cartilage).
- Your spine and pelvis feel fatigued.
Then there’s labor:
- You’re working through the rise and fall of the contractions which can get you in some funky positions that put a lot of pressure and exhaustion on certain areas of the body.
- Muscles and ligaments are stretching to their physical limits.
All these movements can cause sprains and strains on the pelvis and spine, altering normal spinal curvatures and biomechanics, and creating muscle fatigue. Is it any wonder you’re experiencing pain and discomfort after labor?
Adding to the mix is that your energy is now intensely devoted to feeding baby either while breastfeeding or with a bottle, lifting, and shifting baby around to change their numerous diapers and outfit changes each day. You’re regularly experiencing interrupted sleep. Besides these being an energy drain, many moms experience upper back and neck pain as they’re acclimating to these new (or renewed) life tasks.
How Chiropractic Can Help
Postpartum chiropractic care helps moms recover sooner from these stresses on muscles, joints, ligaments, and the nervous system. Physical and biochemical changes have taken place during pregnancy with most of them abruptly stopping after birth. Emotional instability such as depression may show up. When your little one arrives you want to be able to devote your full attention to him/her and not let your physical aches and pains and mental health get in the way of their care and your overall enjoyment of precious new motherhood.
Gentle spinal adjustments are administered by chiropractors trained in working with pregnant and new moms. They specifically work on reducing misalignments in the lumbar and thoracic areas of the body, and correcting vertebrae and sacroiliac joint misalignments.
Bounce Back Quicker
Correcting body alignment helps your resiliency as you bounce back more quickly to recovery and your normal body condition. As your ligaments tighten back up you have yet to regain the full strength in your joints that you had before pregnancy. Your sacrum (tailbone area) may still feel unstable, your pubic bone area may be sore, you may fatigue more easily, your stability when walking may be weak, there may be some residual sciatic pain, or you may be having trouble sleeping. A prenatal and postpartum experienced chiropractor can restore balance and remove annoying and debilitating pain, thereby increasing your comfort.
Massage, Physical Therapy, Exercise
Chiropractic adjustments along with myofascial release, simple at-home stretches, and exercise can assist:
- Getting rid of neck, back, pelvic, and lower extremity pain
- Increasing energy
- Improving quality of sleep
- Getting back to your normal weight by being able to move and be active without as much discomfort and pain as compared to those without care
- Core and pelvic stability
- Postpartum depression and anxiety have been reported clinically reduced due to the emotional and physical support that skilled chiropractors personally provide in this area
- Reduced chance of headaches due to tension, migraines, muscle tension
- Less chance of varicose veins by taking pressure off of the pelvis and its blood supply (pelvic congestion)
A chiropractor specializing in the care of pregnant and postpartum women can also give you tips on breastfeeding positions, sitting postures, how to lift baby in and out of car seats and cribs, and give you exercise and nutritional guidelines to follow.
Look for Certified Practitioners
Specialists like Dr. Michelle Parker are trained in pediatric chiropractic, serving pre- and post-natal moms. Dr. Parker is certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association earning the initials C.A.C.C.P. This stands for Certified by the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatric Association, a designation achieved after vigorous requirements are completed. Dr. Michelle Parker is the only chiropractor with this certification in Parker County.
Dr. Parker is also certified in Myofascial Release and is a former Certified Personal Trainer in Women’s Health. She has the ability to work on the muscles and tendons that attach to the bones that are not moving properly, causing pain, discomfort and a lack of range of motion.
Dr. Parker sees clients from East Parker County, Tarrant, Parker, Erath, Palo Pinto, Hood, Wise, Denton, Dallas and Johnson counties.
Call the Chiropractic Place for Mommy and Me in Aledo, Texas — It’s just 15 minutes west of downtown Fort Worth or 10 minutes east of Weatherford — to set up your appointment with one of our experienced female chiropractors.
