National Women’s Health & Fitness Day is the nation’s most prominent annual health advocacy event for women of all ages.
It held on the final Wednesday of September and will take place this year on the 28.
This excellent national program—with the participation of local organizations throughout the U.S.—focuses on the importance of regular physical activity and women’s health awareness.
In honor of this cause-worthy event, The Chiropractors at AICA Atlanta would like to focus our attention on women’s wellness issues.
Many women who experience low back pain during or just after pregnancy ponder if chiropractic treatment can help them.
More importantly, they have concerns as to the safety of Chiropractic care during this sensitive time.
Benefits of Atlanta Chiropractic Care for Pregnant Women
Almost any woman can attest that pregnancy puts the body through a lot of changes.
As the baby develops in the womb, her body must change and adapt.
The abdomen enlarges, the lower back carries more stress and weight, and the pelvic bones and joints loosen and widen in preparation for birth. Many women do not require Chiropractic treatment for pregnancy.
However, sometimes as the mother’s abdomen increases in size, the posture changes and stress can occur in the joints of the pelvis and spine.
This can cause the joints to move improperly or misalign, causing nerve and joint irritation.
Many times, women who present this grievance to their obstetrician are told they have “pinched nerves.”
Despite the term used to describe the pain, Chiropractic treatment for lower back pain has been shown to be effective in handling this type of discomfort.
AICA Atlanta’s Experience Supporting Pregnancy
Our Atlanta Chiropractors are all well-educated in the anatomy and physiology of a pregnant female.
They are taught in Chiropractic school and take additional on-going continuing professional education to address the lower back pain due to pregnancy.
When the patient initially visits a chiropractic office, the Chiropractor will discuss the significant factors of the condition of the pregnant woman or new mother.
Next, the Chiropractor will check for any sensitive areas of the lower back and gently feel for swelling and muscle spasms.
Evaluating posture can also reveal lots of information.
If the woman is experiencing leg pain and sciatica, checking the status of the sciatic nerve will include testing reflexes, muscular strength and if sensation to the touch is normal or shows extreme sensitivity or strange numbness.
Once the woman has been evaluated many, if not most women, can receive safe, gentle Chiropractic Adjustments to correct misalignments or improperly moving joints of the pelvis and spine to help take pressure off of the area.
Because the Chiropractor’s methods are gentle, the safety of the developing fetus is not an issue.
Many women find their pain, even during the birth of the baby, to be reduced due to their Chiropractic treatments.
Many times, Chiropractors provide advice about lifestyle and exercises the woman can utilize in her normal handling of the pregnancy or post-pregnancy.
Of course, should the Chiropractor find that treatment is not suitable for a particular patient, he will let that patient know and suggest a suitable alternative.