While many women automatically assume that carrying a child and severe pain in the lower back go hand in hand, they are often pleasantly surprised when they learn that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic adjustments can often help diminish persistent back discomfort for pregnant women by as much as 85 percent.
We've worked with many pregnant women suffering from back pain in our Tumwater office.
One piece of research published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies involved 115 women who were pregnant (most of which were in their third trimester) and presented with pain in their lower back region, pelvic area, or both. Data was gathered prior to the study, as well as one week, one month, three months, and one year after treatment commenced. At each subsequent point in time, the participants were asked to rate their level of pain based on a 7-point scale to determine whether it was better, worse, or stayed the same. The results?
More than half reported that their pain was better after one week of chiropractic treatment. After one month, that amount jumped up to 70 percent, climbing even more to 85 percent showing improvement at the three month mark. Positive effects were still reported at six months post-treatment, which was generally after childbirth, and continued to the final data collection one year after treatment commenced.
There are also many additional advantages of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Not only does it efficiently reduce back pain, but it does it in a completely natural and non-invasive way. This means that you don't have to worry about taking any medications or undergoing any type of treatment that could potentially harm your unborn child.
Furthermore, it makes your time spent carrying your baby more pleasant. When you're not sidetracked with pain, you can enjoy the experience even more as you prepare your home and your life for all of the fun and exciting changes that lie ahead.
We're here in Tumwater to help you have a healthy, pain-free pregnancy. Give us a call today at (360) 489-0635 to make an appointment.
Peterson CK, Muhlemann D, & Humphreys BK. Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment: a prospective cohort study with short term, medium term and 1 year follow-up. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2014;22(15):doi:10.1186/2045-709X-22-15.