Chiropractic

[MarineWife]

Anyone else having it while pg? I just had my first adjustment today. I'll be 19 weeks tomorrow. I know it's supposed to be safe. I've been assured by every chiropractor I've ever asked that it is. I'm still scared something bad will happen. Maybe that's because the last time I had an adjustment I was about 8 weeks pregnant and I miscarried about 3 weeks later. I found out the baby had died at around 8 weeks. I'm seeing a different chiropractor this time.

Anyone else have it during their entire pg and not have any problems? Were you treated/adjusted the same as when you aren't pg?

[TinyFrog]

For the pregnancy I went to a different chiropractor who specializes in prenatal.  They are not at all like the previous appointments where my back/hips/neck are literally twisted, cranked and cracked.  It has been very gentle. She applies heat, gently manipulates my hips/sacrum.  She has special pillows so I can lay on my tummy and the table itself splits and moves with each adjustment, so as to take the bulk of the pressure.  It has worked well for me. 

I just could not imagine seeing my regular chiropractor and having him use his full body weight on my to make adjustments.  The thought makes me shiver.

[MarineWife]

See, that is exactly what this chiropractor did to me today. It did really bother me. I think maybe I won't do it anymore. Unfortunately, there aren't any chiros in my area who truly specialize in prenatal. Most are accident injury chiros.

[XanaduMama]

Yes, find a practitioner who specializes in prenatal care. You can find one here:

http://icpa4kids.org/Find-a-Chiropractor/

Some articles on chiropracty during pregnancy here:

http://icpa4kids.org/index.php?option=com_finder&view=search&q=pregnancy

My chiropractor seriously saved my life during my second pregnancy--she virtually cured my crippling SPD, healed a broken tailbone, and her use of Webster helped get my baby into a great position for birth. I'm convinced that my easy and smooth homebirth labor was in part a result of my regular chiro adjustments.

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, but I don't think it had anything to do with the chiro work you had done.

[CookAMH]

Chiro care is an absolute must for me in pregnancy. I wouldn't survive otherwise b/c of pelvic pain that I have gotten these two pregnancies (called SPD).  Actually, the only time I go is when I'm pregnant. And, I only go to a chiro who works on pregnant women a lot and does two things - webster method to gently (VERY gently) adjust my uterine ligaments, and lower back/sciatica (sp) to line up my pelvis properly. No neck cracking, no x-rays. One is billed as a spinal manipulation (when she works on my lower back/sacrum) and the other is billed as PT (the webster).

If you continue throughout, it can aid greatly in helping the baby into a good position and having your pelvis properly aligned for childbirth.

[MarineWife]

Alicia ~ What are your spinal manipulations like? I went for sciatic pain. The chiro twisted my hips, adjusted my spine and my neck. The neck part didn't concern me at all. It was him putting his weight on me to twist my hips and adjust my spine that worried me. I have never had x-rays with a chiro. A few have offered them but I always decline.

[Neuromancer]

I'm 37 weeks and have been seeing a chiropractor since January.  She specializes in prenatal chiropractic work.  She does a combination of cracking (bear hug, neck -- which I'm on the fence about, and back board) work and Webster technique.  She has an activator and a drop table and does some soft (esp. round ligament and back) work with her hands, too.  I find her to be very gentle.  Though she "cracks" some things, she never does anything that puts her full weight on my stomach/uterus and I am comfortable with her.  She never suggested X-Rays.

[MarineWife]

This chiro I just saw did not put any of his weight on my belly, more on my upper body/chest. It's kind of hard to explain. If you've had chiro, you probably will understand. He didn't put all of his weight on me, like lying on me or anything. Just in the course of holding my body in various ways to manipulate he did sometimes apply some weight or pushing. He did not do anything quick or jerky. He did mention x-rays but only to say that my cost would be lower for the first visit because he wouldn't do them. He has an activator that he used on my boys but not on me. I have been on one of those drop tables but he didn't use one. As a matter of fact, the last time I had an adjustment when I miscarried, it was on a drop table. I'm not really in a lot of pain so I don't feel like I need this. I actually mainly went to him because he does acupuncture for allergies but he suggested we try the adjustments first.

He's the first chiro I've found around here who has whole food capsules for treating things like allergies and heavy metals and it's reasonably priced. He did some muscle testing on my son and prescribed something called Allerplex. Nothing for me, although he did say I have something going on in my head.

Maybe I'll just discuss my concerns with him at my next appointment and see what he says before I make a decision.

[noahs.mom06]

I have been seeing a friend of mine who is a chiro specializing in prenatal and children's chiropractic this pregnancy. The difference in my pain level from my other 2 pregnancies has been amazing- both times before by the time I got to 10/12 weeks, my hips hurt SO bad that I could barely walk, and I've had sciatica all of 3 or 4 times this whole pregnancy so far. She also does Webster every time... I am really looking forward to seeing what a difference it will make for this birth!

[CookAMH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarineWife 

Alicia ~ What are your spinal manipulations like? I went for sciatic pain. The chiro twisted my hips, adjusted my spine and my neck. The neck part didn't concern me at all. It was him putting his weight on me to twist my hips and adjust my spine that worried me. I have never had x-rays with a chiro. A few have offered them but I always decline.

I lay tummy down (on two pillows with holes, for my belly) and she gently rubs up and down my spine (assessing, I think) and pushes my heels up to my butt to check if I'm out of balance. I usually am a little bit, so she gently presses right in the middle on my sacrum (which is sore when she does that but it's kind of a good sore). She also uses the drop out feature of the table to do a manual adjustment 2-3 times on my rear hips on the side that is out. That is usually a little sore too when it happens (and I actually feel like it needs a HUGE crack but that probably wouldn't be good). Sometimes she uses the activator on my sacrum as well, but not every time  I then turn over to my back and she gently rubs my uterine ligaments to loosen those some. HTH.

The webster chiro I saw with my last pregnancy, where we used to live, would do the uterine ligaments, have me lay on my side on the reclined table and twist my hips to adjust, both ways (so I'd flip over to do the other side), then he'd have me stand against the wall with a pad that sticks out, my arms over my front, and he'd push back against me to crack my back.

Both helped, but I have had more relief from SPD from my current chiro adjustments with this pregnancy than the adjustments from my last pregnancy.

And regarding your miscarriage, I have read that miscarriages in the first trimester are most often because of chromosomal abnormalities rather than external factors or mother's actions. I would try not to connect the two.

[MarineWife]

Hm...it sounds like my adjustment was much different than the prenatal ones you all are getting. What I had done was essentially the same as any normal adjustments I've had.

I know the statistical reasons for miscarriage but when it happens around a certain event it's impossible to rule out that event. I have had 7 first trimester miscarriages, all but that one I lost before 6 weeks. I thought I was out of the woods because I had made it past 6 weeks. Then to find out the baby died around the same time I had that one adjustment will always make me wonder. There's no way to rule it out as a possible cause.