Chiropractic & Pregnancy – Why They Go Together

Let’s chat about chiropractic and pregnancy. For those of you that didn’t read my last post, What I Wish I Would’ve Known the First Time Around, I am the daughter of a chiropractor. My dad, Dr. Robert J. Natusch, Jr, DC, recently retired after near 40 years with offices in Northern New Jersey. My brother and sister-in-law are both licensed chiropractors at their family owned and operated practice, Upper Valley Chiropractic in Lebanon, New Hampshire (you can find them on Facebook).

 

Chiropractic – a Lifestyle of Health

My two siblings and I grew up vaccine-free, drug-free, and antibiotic-free. We never took over-the-counter pain meds or pills, even for headaches. If we had an issue, my dad would give us an adjustment and my mom gave us an herbal or holistic remedy and sent us on our way. To me, that was normal!

I was born at home. Those in attendance for my birth aside from my mom and dad? My older brother (21 months older) and my aunt, to tend to my brother while my mom and dad labored with me. I was mere minutes old when I received my first adjustment. It was our way of life and continues to be for my husband, our two sons, and I. It is our weekly preventative healthcare maintenance. Dr. John Tenpenny is our “primary” care doctor and if you’re in Florida, I highly recommend him.

Why the Two Go Together

 

Since you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re curious how chiropractic care and pregnancy can be in the same sentence. Some feel those two are taboo and many were shocked when I told them I’d continue to see my chiropractor weekly through my 9 months of pregnancy. The gasps came when I told them my chiropractor adjusted me while I was in labor with my childrenand he came to my house again after my children were born to give them their first adjustments, too! I’m sure I’m a smidge biased, but thankfully, this has become much more mainstream. And personally, I feel moms and babes are all the better for it!

I don’t have many official references for this post, except what I’ve heard my dad repeat in his lectures my entire life.

“It is vital for moms to get adjusted through their pregnancy and beyond. Since you’re gradually adding weight to your abdomen, that causes lower back stress. Your whole posture and skeletal structure slowly alters for the duration of the pregnancy. This can amplify current misalignments.”

But, let’s get a little more in depth as to why this is important while you’re growing another human being inside you.

(Please remember, I am not a licensed chiropractor. This post is not intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any disease or health concern. This information is for educational purposes only.)

This image shows a few vertebrae within your spine. The vertebrae are your bones. The blue and red slivers are your sponge-like discs that cushion your vertebrae so your bones don’t rub on each other and cause pain. The yellow parts are the nerves nestled safely in between your vertebrae which send and receive signals to and from your brain to your organs. When that perfect structure is altered by things like bad posture, carrying your baby on your hip, sleeping on a pillow, crossing your legs, tripping, falling, carrying a purse on one shoulder, car accidents, sports, etc., etc. those messages are not able to be sent or received properly. It’s like a garden hose with the water on full blast, but there’s a kink in the line. The water won’t be at its fullest potential because there is a blockage. 

That’s the red nerve and disc within this picture. The organs which are connected to that nerve are not sending and receiving the complete message to and from the brain because the vertebra is putting pressure (a kink) in that nerve. That causes pain which may even be felt elsewhere in the body and not felt within the spine. You may treat the symptom of pain unsuccessfully until you get to the source which lies within the spine.

Just think for a moment, does that nerve have anything to do with the organ that helps grow your baby? Maybe it’s the one that represents your uterus. If left unadjusted, your body is not able to operate to its fullest potential and ability when growing your little one. Messages are not being sent or received fully. The consequences of not rectifying the issue may not reveal itself until delivery!

A simple adjustment (or series of adjustments depending on the severity and years of your life without chiropractic care) can aid in rectifying the issue and allowing your body to operate at its fullest potential and health while growing your baby.

How The Pelvis Benefits From Chiropractic

Let’s take a moment to look at how God designed our birthing pelvis.

Our pelvis is designed with a cartilage substance to connect our pubic (pubis) bone. During pregnancy, labor, and birth, the body sends signals to control that cartilage. When it softens, it’s time for the baby to soon make his arrival! If there is a communication kink somewhere within the spine, those signals would not be clearly communicated. You’d be so much better off addressing the misalignment (know as a subluxation) now – well before delivery day – so your body can relax in its designed location.

When people ask me if it’s safe to be adjusted during pregnancy, the analogy of the kinked water hose comes to mind. Our female bodies are created and designed to grow and carry a baby. A chiropractor’s job is to keep my spine in the correct alignment so my body can function to its fullest potential. During the most spine-altering 9 months in my life, I would never think to neglect my weekly chiropractic adjustments! That’s like deciding to stay home from the grocery store when you need food.

Every parent can say they only want the best, optimal health for their child once they are born. Being under a chiropractor’s care allows you the ability to give your child the best, optimal health while they are in your womb.

– See more at: growinguptriplets.com

Kinesiology Tape Being Used In Pediatric Care

Though the most visible kinesiology tape users might be professional athletes, Olympians, or weekend warriors – a much smaller clientele is also proving the advantages of this unique treatment. With a special line designed for sensitive skin and playful prints and colors that will speak to the sticker and Band-Aid loving child, it’s not surprising that kinesiology tape is quickly becoming more than an athlete’s aid.

 

While the uses and applications of kinesiology tape for pediatric treatment are growing daily, here is a quick run down of how kinesiology tape is being used in pediatric care today:

Pain & Swelling Relief

– When kinesiology tape is applied to an injured or inflamed area, children can enjoy some relief without having to take pain medication or sit through icing and therapy treatments.

Orthopedic Treatment

– Children often don’t understand the purpose behind rehabilitation exercises, so kinesiology tape provides an additional or alternative treatment for children with orthopedic injuries, weak or underdeveloped muscles, gait abnormalities, paralysis – even poor posture.

Neuromuscular Disorders

– Kinesiology tape has proven effective to activate weak muscles and inhibit overactive muscles.  With a simple and safe taping application, children suffering from neuromuscular conditions like cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy could see improvements in symptoms and movement ability. It has also been shown to improve muscle tone in genetic disorders like Downs Syndrome and other conditions causing either spasticity, atrophy or poor muscle tone.

For children dealing with serious medical conditions, a colorful and painless treatment that can be worn for several days, even while playing and bathing, can make a big difference in their comfort level.

Interested in learning more about pediatric kinesiology taping? Dr. Kenzo Kaze, the creator of Kinesio Tape, provides step by step guidelines for taping infants and children in his manual, Kinesio Taping in Pediatrics available at Theratape.com.

For a list of successful case studies where kinesiology tape has provided improvement for children, check out Theratape’s research compilation as well as this case report (pdf) from Novel Physiotherapies. Hopefully, as more and more case studies document positive results, the use of kinesiology tape in pediatric care will continue to expand and increase.

Source:

theratape.com