Tips to relieving pain in pregnancy

Natural pregnancy care

Whether you are pregnant for the first time or you've already had children it's likely that you have had discomfort or even pain during pregnancy that doctors, friends, family, associates and everyone has told you is normal and just a part of the process.

 

So is it normal?  Well pain, no matter when it occurs is not normal and is there to tell you something. During pregnancy there are obviously drastic changes to most women's bodies and those changes in themselves can cause soreness, pain, swelling, heartburn, headaches, muscle spasms and more even in a very healthy person. These symptoms are caused by a radical increase in weight in a short period of time, a change in your center of gravity, a change in muscle activity and support, digestive system changes, and spinal/pelvic alignment changes.

 

Can we stop these changes from happening? Probably not and we most likely wouldn't want to. The weight increase is important in supplying the baby with the nutrients they need and of course the baby themselves adds to your weight, along with breast enlargement to prepare for breast feeding. A change in your center of gravity is inevitable when your weight increases without balance - which means most of your weight increase is in your stomach region. Your muscles change from everyday support and strength to supporting the ligaments, the uterus and other needed areas for pregnancy. This is why weight training during pregnancy will not only do no good in building muscle bulk but may also decrease muscle bulk because it's not your muscle's primary job. Your digestive system enzymes, speed and ability to digest change due to what the baby can handle and what your body needs to do for you and the baby. Your spine and pelvis will change more during pregnancy than in any other time in your life. Your hips have to open, your tailbone has to move, and your entire spine has to be flexible for the baby's growth. This means that your body may misalign from it's optimal position so that it can accomodate the baby.

 

So am I saying that pain is inevitable during pregnancy and there's nothing that can be done about it other than to take tylenol and rest? No, not at all. There are many alternatives to tylenol, medicine, and rest for pain during the prenatal period. First of all, you want to take as little medicine as possible while pregnant because all medicines will effect the baby, just some are more risky than others. Second, most pain is not effected by tylenol because it is the most mild pain reliever that is available. And rest is great in moderation, however when you are stuck on bed rest or are in too much pain to move, other negative effects occur such as depression, frustration, anger, and lonliness - which ultimately effect the environment that your baby is living in.

 

Alternatives to pregnancy pain include natural alternatives such as prenatal chiropractic care, which deals specifically with the misalignments in the spine, pelvis, tailbone, and soft tissue issues in the anterior pelvic regions. A prenatal chiropractor adjusts pregnant women extremely gently with specific techniques that allow the body to realign while making plenty of room for the baby to be in the optimal position for pregnancy as well as labor and delivery. They have amazing results with neck pain, headaches, heartburn, midback and shoulder pain, low back pain and sciatica, tailbone pain, and anterior pelvic pain. Prenatal Chiropractors take interference off of nerves (which is where pain comes from) and allow your body to work more effectively and efficiently. Pain is definitely relieved but many mom's also notice an improvement in breathing, digestion, heartburn, coordination, movement, strength, and overall emotional well-being. Why? Because when your body can work without any interference, it's amazing! Your body can heal you better than any doctor.

Prenatal Massage is another fantastic alternative to traditional prenatal pain treatment. There are many massage therapists who focus on prenatal clients and know techniques that create relaxation, comfort, and help to decrease muscle tightness and spasms during pregnancy.

 

Cranial Sacral Therapy is also an alternative therapy to normal pregnancy pain treatment. Cranial sacral is a very gentle technique that allows you to relax while the therapist gently improves the flow of cerebral spinal fluid from your brain to your sacrum/tail bone. This therapy also helps with overall emotional and physical well-being.

 

Acupuncture is another alternative pain relieving treatment that is safe and effective in pregnancy. The acupuncture/chinese medicine philosophy focuses on energy blockages within your body and the removal of pooled energetic masses that cause pain and discomfort with extremely small needles that are inserted topically in very specific places on your body for about 15-30 minutes, depending on what is being treated. Most patients say that they don't feel the needles at all.

 

In conclusion, although tylenol and rest are the most common treatments for pain during pregnancy there are many alternative treatments that may be safer and more effective. Medicine is a very risky and dangerous treatment for any issues while pregnant. Depending on what the problem is, you have to decide whether the benefit is worth the risk. Bed rest can be negative during pregnancy. If there are alternatives that can decrease or resolve pain and allow you to remain healthy and active during pregnancy, most patients feel that it's worth the try to see what works best for them.

 

There are additional alternative treatments for pain during pregnancy that your naturopath or chiropractor can discuss with you at your next appointment. Good luck and blessings through your pregnancy!

 

Dr. Ashley Waggoner

Chiropractic Physician

www.ashley-chiropractic.com

480-259-0064

Mesa and Queen Creek, AZ