Great Expectations? We deliver!
Amidst all the joy and anticipation of pregnancy, one of the biggest challenges for many expectant mums is balancing the needs of the baby with their own - and as any parent can tell you, the reality of ‘putting your child first’ starts well before the baby actually arrives…
In the end of course, those months of saying “no” to that glass of wine, delicious soft cheese, sushi, caffeine - and all the other ‘things to avoid whilst pregnant’ - seems a small price to pay when you finally welcome your little bundle of joy into the world.
But what about the choices you have to make about your own physical wellbeing during pregnancy? Does ‘putting your baby first’ mean you have to endure pain, discomfort and sleepless nights from pelvic pain, back ache, hip pain or any of the other musculoskeletal issues that can affect your body as the pregnancy progresses?
Can treatments such as Chiropractic and Massage help? Are they safe to have during pregnancy? If a pregnancy is progressing smoothly with no real issues, are there still benefits to be had from treatment? These are some of the questions we are regularly asked by both new and long-standing patients who come to us during pregnancy.
So, we asked some of these lovely mums and mums-to-be to share their experiences of Pregnancy Treatments at Creative Chiro to help answer those questions. Our practitioners will also explain the reasons behind some of the most common issues affecting the body during pregnancy and how to manage them safely and effectively.
Charlene, 32 has been coming to the Practice for many years. When she found out she was pregnant, she was keen to continue her treatments:
“When I fell pregnant, I rang the Practice to ask if I could continue treatment and they reassured me that I could still attend appointments as normal. They made a note on my records so when I attended my next appointment, the Practitioners were already aware. They congratulated me and asked how things were going. We had a chat and I was made aware that there would be slight adjustments made to the way I was treated, but I wouldn’t notice very much difference. There was also a couple of things they weren’t able to do due to safety reasons, which is very understandable.
During my treatments whilst pregnant, I can honestly say I didn’t notice the differences as they were done very discreetly and my needs were still met. I wasn’t aware that I would still be able to receive these kinds of treatments whilst being pregnant, so being reassured by staff at the Practice, who clearly had the knowledge and understanding about treatments during pregnancy, really put my mind at ease. Our bodies go through a great deal of change during pregnancy and to know that help is out there other than the main doctors is very helpful.
I was very lucky during my pregnancy and my body didn’t suffer too much, so I continued to receive treatment for existing problems which could have gone back to being very painful if I wasn’t able to still receive my usual treatment and for that I was so grateful. I did suffer a little bit towards the end of my pregnancy with what I thought was sciatica, but I was assured it wasn’t and my treatment was adjusted to help with the problem, which was made more bearable.”
Charlene was able to continue massage treatments once she reached 12 weeks. We explain how the treatments were adapted as the pregnancy progressed:
“Charlene has been a patient for many years and initially the treatments focused on her usual problem areas of tight muscles in the neck and shoulders. This ensured that as her posture changed through the pregnancy, she didn’t lose the benefits gained through regular treatment of these areas.
Towards the end of the pregnancy, she experienced more pain in her lower back and groin. This is very common as the body produces a hormone in the third trimester called Relaxin, which helps the pelvis to expand in preparation for the birth. This can make joints such as the Pubic Symphysis and Sacro Iliac hyper-mobile leading to pelvic and lower back pain. So, we adjusted the massage treatments to help relieve these issues.
Combining the Massage treatments with Chiropractic adjustments helped address any postural problems, allowing the body to change and adapt to the pregnancy as it needed to.”
Another one of our patients, Nichola, 27 also happens to be a member of the team. For her, seeing the benefits patients got from treatment during pregnancy was really reassuring for her:
“At about 25 weeks, I started to have great difficulty when walking and I got wrenching pain in the pelvis and pubic area. It was quite scary because I didn’t know what could be causing it or if it was normal!
If I hadn’t been working at the Practice I might not have realised that it was ok to have treatment for this whilst pregnant. You are always so worried about doing the wrong thing when you’re expecting. But I could see first hand how safe it was and how much it was helping other patients.
My Chiropractor, understood exactly what was causing the pain and the Chiropractic treatments gave me relief like nothing else I’d tried! It couldn’t always completely take all the pain away but it became so much more comfortable and bearable. From then on, I had a combination of Massage and Chiropractic throughout the pregnancy. I don’t want to think about the pain I would have been in without it!!”
It was important to explain to Nichola what was happening within her body to cause her symptoms and to reassure her that while the changes in her body were normal, she didn’t have to suffer the debilitating pain - especially at a time when she didn’t want to take pain killers:
“Nichola was experiencing 2 common effects of pregnancy on the body: Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction and Pelvic Girdle Pain. As the body adjusts and prepares for the birth, this loosening of the joints in the pelvic/pubic area can cause adverse reactions, such as muscle stiffness around the unstable joints and an uneven gait. for some, this can result in excruciating pain. With gentle and appropriate manipulation we were able to relieve the worst of the symptoms, allowing Nichola to continue with her daily life and enjoy a more restful night’s sleep”
Little Evie arrived in June 2019 to the delight of everyone at Creative Chiro
Many thanks to Nichola for sharing this gorgeous image.
Our Clinical Massage Therapist, Vanisha has treated many patients during their pregnancies. She adapts each treatment for both the physical needs of her patients’ changing bodies and their comfort when receiving treatment:
“There are many things happening in the body during pregnancy. Progesterone is released in the early months to enable ligaments to loosen in order to accommodate the growing baby, followed later by Relaxin which helps the Pelvic Girdle to open more and make room for the baby. The Pelvis is 3 bones ‘glued’ together with connective tissue, the Relaxin loosens this ‘glue’. At the same time the body’s centre of gravity is constantly shifting as the bump grows. Hormonal changes can also cause affect energy levels and disturb sleep patterns. Emotions can be all over the place too at times. Swelling in the legs and feet becomes very common in the later months, making them feel heavy and tired.
Massage can help with all of these things. Working on tight muscles caused by the strain of the changing body shape soothes, stretches and releases the muscles to ease the pain and allow more comfortable movement. When the muscles are returned to a more normal state this helps with postural issues. Massage can also improve circulation and help relieve tired, achy legs and feet.
As the pregnancy progresses, we use special supports and pillows to ensure maximum comfort for the patient. I vary the position of the patient according to their needs, working with the patient on their side or even sitting up for part of the treatment.
For some patients the application of RockTape can help enormously in supporting the growing bump and taking strain off the muscles of the lower back.
Another factor that is often forgotten is the importance of the mum-to-be having some ‘me time’. A soothing, relaxing Massage promotes a general feeling of wellbeing/time out from life which can be invaluable at this time.”
Although we are always on hand to offer help to patients who are struggling with musculoskeletal issues during pregnancy, we also have many patients who experience largely trouble free pregnancies. For these patients too, there are clear benefits in continuing their regular treatments. A great example of this is Annie, 34 who has been attending the Practice for Chiropractic and Massage since early 2019:
“I've been extremely fortunate to feel very well and comfortable throughout my pregnancy. I think keeping my appointments regular (around every 2 weeks for Pregnancy Massage and every 4 weeks for Chiropractic sessions) throughout most of my pregnancy has really helped any niggles in my body to not build into anything too uncomfortable between treatments. I leave the Practice with a feeling of lightness in my body which is definitely not that easy to achieve when heavily pregnant!
As my bump has got bigger and bigger, I have needed a lot more adaptations to my treatment. One of the main things I personally have struggled with is feeling very uncomfortable, even for short periods of time, on my back. But both my Chiropractic sessions and my Pregnancy Massages have been adapted so I am on my sides, supported, and comfortable. throughout. The Practitioners are all very experienced and make me and bump feel completely at ease and comfortable always.”
For patients like Annie, the aim is to assess their changing needs as the pregnancy progresses. Subtle adjustments then keep the body in a better state of equilibrium:
“Treatment for Annie has consisted of checking for bio-mechanical dysfunction and restoring the movement to any unhappy joints. Treatments are very light, making sure correct pelvic alignment is achieved, using gentle manipulation that has been adapted to maintain functional capacity in the pregnant body.
As the body adapts through pregnancy, some joints become more mobile than in the average person. To aid the gentle manipulation, we use some subtle soft tissue work and stretching techniques to make sure the surrounding musculature and ligaments are happy.”
Pregnancy Massage adaptation:
The ability to make the correct adaptations in treatment as a pregnancy progresses comes from years of experience and listening to the patient to assess their individual needs.
The experiences of patients such as Charlene, Annie, Nichola and Rebecca - and the many others we have treated - has shown us the clear benefits of Pregnancy Massage and Chiropractic care. This corresponds entirely with the findings of studies and data over the years which have been brought together in a review published by the NCBI (National Centre for Biotechnology Information):
According to the article by the US National Institute for Health (Pregnancy and Chiropractic: A Narrative Review - C.L. Borggen) approximately 50% of all pregnant women experience back pain during their pregnancy. However, only 21% of pregnant women with back pain seek consultation with their medical physicians.
After reviewing a range of studies and data, their findings indicated that patients who received Chiropractic care during their pregnancies gained relief from back pain in 84% of the cases.
It also reported that there may be a relationship between back pain throughout pregnancy and a longer duration of the labour and delivery process. A retrospective review of these statistics reported that women who seek Chiropractic care throughout gestation have, on average, a 25% shorter labour time.
The article concluded that Chiropractic evaluation and treatment during pregnancy may be considered a safe and effective means of treating common musculoskeletal symptoms that affect pregnant patients. Continued Chiropractic care may also be beneficial in assisting proper restoration of normal spinal biomechanics after the birth.
This last point, regarding post-partum treatment echoes the benefits our patients regularly see from their treatments at the Practice.
“After pregnancy, there are many benefits to Chiropractic care. As your body has been through multiple changes, it will be important to make sure it can adapt back to it’s full function post pregnancy.
When you have a newborn, your body will also undergo different stresses, such as repetitive lifting, bent over positions during bath times and breast feeding. Additionally, many mothers have a tendency to carry their little ones on one of their hips, causing a pelvic imbalance. Therefore, continued treatments will be highly beneficial to help keep you at your optimal function.”
Finally, it is of course, of paramount importance to us that our patients feel comfortable, safe and cared for. We also recognise that this need is often heightened for pregnant patients. So, we were delighted with Annie and Charlene’s responses when asked about their overall impressions of treatment at the Practice:
“I really look forward to my appointments at this super friendly practice. I was delighted to be back attending regularly for Chiropractic sessions and Pregnancy Massages after a few months off due to Covid-19 lockdown. I feel completely reassured and as safe as possible with the clear procedures in place for everyone to follow. The booking process is super easy and flexible too.” - Annie
“I have been visiting the Practice for some time now. From the first time and every time since, I have always been treated very professionally and with great kindness. The reception staff and Practitioners are always very friendly and welcoming. I always receive the best treatment when I attend, my concerns and needs are listened to and treated in the best way possible.” - Charlene
We feel immensely privileged to share in the journey of our pregnant patients and to watch their families grow over the years. We would like to thank them for sharing their thoughts for this article.
For more information about our Pregnancy Treatments please call us on 01328 854325, email us at Info@creativechiro.co.uk or visit our website HERE