Your body undergoes immense physical and emotional changes during pregnancy-- hormone fluctuations, body shape and weight-- even the rate in which your heart beats adjusts. Sometimes, these changes trigger aches and pains, the spine being particularly vulnerable. Just what causes your pregnancy pain?
The most likely culprits are the sudden changes in estrogen levels and other hormonal fluctuations. For example, to prepare for birth, your body releases hormones during pregnancy that allow pelvic ligaments and joints to loosen, which also affects your posture and can make your back feel unsupported. As a result, you experience pain.
Other pregnancy-related pain triggers:
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Fatigue and disrupted sleep
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Low blood sugar and dehydration
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Common ailments, such as sinus congestion
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Withdrawals from caffeine
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Added weight. As your baby grows your center of gravity will shift forward, causing your posture to change as you negotiate this added weight.
Pregnancy pain is most common in the first and third trimesters, although every pregnancy is unique.
Treating Pain During Pregnancy
During pregnancy you should absolutely avoid any pain medications. So what can you do to help relieve aches and pains during pregnancy?
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Get a massage. This will ease the strained muscles, particularly in the neck and upper spine.
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Eat a balanced diet. Whenever possible, fight off any junk food cravings and stick to nutritious foods.
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Maintain a regular sleep schedule. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
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Stay hydrated. Your body needs water; increasing your water intake will not only help you feel better in general, but you’ll be able to tolerate pain more easily. Additionally, ample hydration helps to avoid pregnancy complications including neural tube defects, low amniotic fluid, inadequate breast milk production, and even premature labor.
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Give yourself a break. Your body is rapidly changing-- it’s normal to feel tired. Lying down in a dark room, even for a short amount of time, can leave you feeling refreshed.
For many women, minor lifestyle adjustments and being mindful of bodily changes are sufficient for keeping pregnancy pains to a minimum. But for other women, pregnancy pain is more intense and constant during all trimesters. If you are one of these women, chiropractic care provides an effective, safe and drug-free treatment alternative.
Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
Many women use chiropractic care during pregnancy for relief from back, leg, and pelvic aches and pains. Chiropractic care is not only safe, it’s a natural remedy for keeping your body healthy.
During pregnancy, the spine can often move out of alignment because of the sizable increase in weight, poor posture, and pelvic changes. When your spine is out of alignment, it results in pain.
For example, lumbar pain is pain at or above the waist in the center of the back. This lower back pain in pregnancy may also come with pain that radiates into the leg or foot.
Posterior pelvic pain is intense pain that emerges below and sometimes to the side of the waistline, or below the waistline on either side across the tailbone. Posterior pelvic pain in pregnancy can reach down into the buttock and the upper portion of the posterior (in back of) thighs, and does not usually radiate below the knees.
Headaches are common, too. From one-sided throbbing migraine pain, to dull, achy tension headaches, you may have considerably more headaches during pregnancy than before you became pregnant.
Chiropractic Benefits
Chiropractic adjustments help support and realign the spine and pelvis. When left untreated during pregnancy, pelvic misalignments can ultimately reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby, making it harder for the baby to move into the optimal birth position. As for the spine, the more it moves out of alignment, the more pain and related symptoms you experience.
Many patients report that chiropractic care results in less pregnancy-related nausea, reduced back and neck pain, less time spent in labor and delivery, and even a reduced likelihood of needing a cesarean section at birth.
Pregnancy should be a happy, hopeful, and exciting time as you prepare for your child’s birth. If you’re focus is on body aches and pains, call (865) 270-5979 or make an appointment with us so we can learn about your specific situation determine the cause of your pain. We’ll provide the relief you need so you can enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.