Pregnancy and Chiropractic! - February 20, 2012
By Dr. Shauna LeeHello everyone! I’m Dr. Shauna and I’m the new chiropractor here at Cedar Wood Chiropractic. Two things that make me a little different is that I’m certified in Webster Technique and Graston Technique. In this blog we’ll be going into Webster Technique and why chiropractic care is so beneficial for pregnant women.
So why do pregnant women need chiropractic care? It can be reduced to three simple reasons. One is that a pregnant woman is now releasing relaxin, a hormone that relaxes and ligaments. With the relaxation of surrounding muscles and ligaments joints and spinal structures are more easily going to subluxate or misalign. The second reason is the necessary weight gain that comes with pregnancy which therefore increases stress on not just the spine and joints but the ligaments and muscles surrounding them. The third reason, which goes hand in hand with the weight gain, is the change in weight distribution. Reasons two and three together lead to an increase in the curve of your thoracic and lumbar spine, stress your sacroiliac joints, and fatigue your spinal and pelvic muscles more quickly. This imbalance and especially sacral subluxation according to Dr. Larry Webster the founder of the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) can be a cause of dystocia, or difficult labor.
What can the Webster Technique do for you? The Webster Technique is designed to address these sacral and SI joint dysfunctions and restoring neurobiomechanical function of the pelvis and spine. By addressing the stresses caused by pregnancy, we can help to make the pregnancy process as comfortable as possible. For those interested in a natural vaginal birth, Webster Technique is also known for its resolution of breech presentation births, helping to ensure that the mother and child have the best possible chances for a natural child birth process. For a more in-depth explanation of the Webster Technique the following link has been found to be extremely useful: http://icpa4kids.com/about/webster_technique.htm
The ICPA is extremely active in chiropractic research. Research articles pertaining to Webster technique and pregnancy patients can be found at the ICPA following this link: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=ou65ircab&v=001ERobWwfqaaft-AnbcXhUykJIz7PPB_PTq0i6qk1F1p3b-hejrtMD8dLVoIcXH9NGyvbGrINqqTTsw-CwG-lvfOI2bpJJRGG6em_JlwCgh37JMmZZi7N654LG09AP-O-hfal4xkX3M5Y%3D
The American Pregnancy Association’s support of Webster Technique can be read at: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/chiropracticcare.html
A literature review of research out there (a little bit older since it is from 2007): http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899346707000444
