Prenatal & Postnatal Care Through Chiropractic Combined With Physiotherapy

CSC provides holistic prenatal & postnatal therapies for expecting and new mothers. This article shares some home care, prevention, and the dos and don’ts to avoid pregnancy or postnatal issues. Call us now to book your appointment for our prenatal & postnatal treatment through chiropractic combined with physiotherapy treatment.

Pregnancy care comprises postpartum/postnatal (after birth) and prenatal (before birth) care for mothers-to-be. It generally entails training and treatments to ascertain a healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery less complicated for the mother and baby.

Pregnancy brings with it a host of problems. Some are readily obvious, and some less so. For most pregnant women, loose limbs, joint discomfort, lower back pain, and abdominal pain are common pregnancy pains caused by rapidly shifting posture.  Fortunately, respite may be an appointment at Chiropractic Specialty Center® in Kuala Lumpur. Here’s everything you need to know about getting prenatal chiropractic care and how you can get rid of pregnancy pain or aches.

Importance Of Prenatal Chiropractic & Physiotherapy Combined

Prenatal care is the type of care a would-be mother gets during pregnancy. During the pregnancy, your spine and center of gravity shift as the baby continue to grow in the womb. This instigates a ripple effect that stresses your nervous and musculoskeletal systems and enacts a sequence of physical changes you may not realize are associated with pregnancy.

Considering the muscle tension, pains, and aches that are usually associated with pregnancy, getting physiotherapy combined with chiropractic care can provide you with the relief you’re looking for. Physiotherapy helps keep your soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) strong and healthy during pregnancy. Regular chiropractic care assists in managing pain in your joints, hips, and back. It can also ascertain pelvic balance, which provides your child with enough space during the pregnancy.

Prenatal chiropractic care and physiotherapy at Chiropractic Specialty Center® are safe and effective for both mother and child.  Moreover, it is your best option against pregnancy pain.

Benefits Of Postnatal Chiropractic Combined With Physiotherapy

Postpartum care is the care a mother receives following birth. Life after giving birth isn’t easy. The body requires some training and time to return to its normal condition, especially after several changes during the pregnancy. However, postnatal Chiropractic care can prove to be the difference given how it promotes a faster post-pregnancy healing process. It also restores the body’s normal biomechanics, assists in treating sciatica, encourages and supports pelvic rehabilitation, relieves pain, and assists in stemming postpartum depression. That’s why visiting our chiropractor after pregnancy is crucial if you want to regain your body back.

Finding A Good Chiropractor Is The First Step o Feeling Better.

Chiropractic treatment is a safe alternative to medication and painkiller for new mothers and expecting mothers. Prenatal and postnatal chiropractic care is best through non-forceful methods without twisting, rotating, or pushing on the spine. The most gentle and safest chiropractic treatment is the Activator Method of chiropractic technique. However, more important than the type of chiropractic treatment you get is the chiropractor treating you.

Some chiropractors are well versed in prenatal and postnatal chiropractic treatment. To benefit most from your chiropractic treatment session, you will need your chiropractor to have experience and knowledge in diagnosing and treating your presenting health issues. We will not elaborate much on how to find a good chiropractor. If you like more information on finding the right chiropractic, please visit our related post; how to find a good chiropractor.

Pregnancy Pain & Back Pain During Pregnancy & After Childbirth

For some, pains and aches are part of the parcel that comes with pregnancy. Commonly experienced pregnancy pains include backaches, headaches, pelvic pain, uterine cramping, and round ligament pain (sharp jabs in the groin or lower belly).

During pregnancy, the body changes and acclimatizes to house the growing fetus by loosening ligaments and muscles. The broadening of ligaments and abdominal muscles creates extra space between the spine and pelvic bones. It’s difficult for loosely held bones to move with/over one another, making movements awkward and painful. Also, the growing uterus and weight of the baby apply pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in the pelvis, which results in lower back pain.

Pain in the region of the round ligament is a common occurrence during pregnancy. Cramping usually happens when the uterus enlarges, causing the muscles and ligaments supporting it to get soft and stretch.

Prenatal & Postnatal Care At Chiropractic Specialty Center®

If you’re suffering from abdominal cramps or back pain during your pregnancy, you should consider getting prenatal chiropractic care combined with prenatal physiotherapy at Chiropractic Specialty Center® in Kuala Lumpur. Call our office at 03 2093 1000. Our prenatal and postnatal chiropractic and physiotherapy services are available at our Sri Petaling and Bukit Damansara (Damansara Heights) locations.

Typically, postnatal back pain lasts for around six months but may remain for much longer if appropriate care isn’t administered. Most women who experience postnatal back pain get the symptoms due to pregnancy-related adjustments in the musculoskeletal system that continue even after childbirth. Causes of postnatal back pain include loss of joint and muscle tone instability, epidural injection, diastasis recti, dislocation of the coccyx, sacral stress fracture, and pelvic girdle pain.

Relaxin Hormone And Pregnancy

As the body prepares itself for labor and delivery, it creates a natural hormone known as Relaxin. Relaxin is produced in the ovary and is discharged into circulation by the corpus luteum. During the gestation period, Relaxin is also secreted by the placenta, the membranes surrounding the fetus, and the lining of the uterine wall.

After ovulation, Relaxin levels increase in the circulatory system. During this phase, it is believed to relax the uterine wall by preventing contractions while also preparing the uterus lining for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t happen, Relaxin concentrations drop. If pregnancy occurs, Relaxin concentrations will be at their optimum during the first trimester.

During this time, it is thought to facilitate the developing fetus’ implantation into the uterine wall and the development of the placenta. In addition, in the early stages of pregnancy, Relaxin hinders contractions in the uterine wall to prevent the chances of premature childbirth. Relaxin also controls the mother’s renal and cardiovascular systems, assisting with the increased demand for nutrients and oxygen and excrete the resulting waste products from the fetus.

Before childbirth, Relaxin assists in cervix dilation by relaxing the joints and ligaments in the pelvic region to be ready for vaginal birth. However, this may see the mother experiencing instability and discomfort in the spine since the supporting ligaments become more fragile and looser. Our focused prenatal chiropractic care methods combined with prenatal physiotherapy assist in alleviating pregnancy pain arising from relaxed joints and ligaments caused by the production of Relaxin.

Round Ligament Of Uterus And Pregnancy

The round ligament of the uterus consists of a pair of cordlike compositions (ligaments) in the pelvis that assists in keeping the uterus in place. It’s important to note that the round ligaments expand and contract just like a rubber band. Pain in the region of the round ligament is commonly experienced in the second trimester, and given how as the belly enlarges, the round ligaments stretch to support the uterus.

Sudden movements can make your round ligaments constrict quickly, resulting in sharp, stabbing pain. In addition, if your pelvis is misaligned, it can result in an unbalanced rotation through the pelvis, which causes one side of the round ligament to tighten. This can see you feel a continuous pull and some pain from your groin area, moving up along one side of your belly button. This is not an experience you want to experience, even if you’re carrying your little miracle of life.

Our chiropractors and physiotherapists can assist in relieving your round ligament pain by:

• Evaluating your pelvis and looking for any misalignments
• Reducing muscular tension and discomfort resulting from round ligament pain. Our certified physiotherapist will do this through soft tissue mobilization and other methods of manual physiotherapy treatments.
• Doing a diaphragmatic and pelvic fascial release.
• Doing round ligament fascial release between attachment points
• Performing gentle mobilizations and manipulations on the three connecting points.

The mentioned chiropractic care combined with physiotherapy is ideal for relieving round ligament pain and adjusting pelvic misalignments and unbalanced tension around the uterus. This provides more than enough room for your baby to develop and will also help you experience a pain-free pregnancy.

What Are The Muscles Of Importance During & After Pregnancy?

All muscles are essential. The primary functions of our muscles produce the force needed for movement, posture, and motion of internal organs. Therefore, expecting mothers, new mothers, and those planning a pregnancy need to pay special attention to the muscles that support a healthy pregnancy, as listed below:

1. Pelvic floor muscles
2. Spinal muscles
3. Abdominal muscles
4. Gluteal muscles
5. Hamstrings
6. Quadriceps
7. Calf muscles

The most important muscles for a healthy pregnancy and a speedy recovery after childbirth are the pelvic floor muscles.

What Is The Pelvic Floor & Where Is It?

The pelvic floor is situated at the bottom of the pelvis. Pelvic floor muscles are cup-like or a hammock-like band of muscles between the tailbone and the pubic bone that supports the pelvic organs & reproductive organ and help with spinal stability in men and women. The pelvic floor muscles are an essential support structure for the vagina, uterus, bowels, and balder in women. It is the most critical of all the muscles during pregnancy and post-pregnancy. Therefore, a well-planned pregnancy should include targeted exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. However, it is never too late to start strengthening your pelvic floor if your pregnancy was not planned.

How Can You Tell If Your Pelvic Floor Muscles Are Week?

Medical research has long documented the impact of the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy and postpartum periods. A published study found significant benefits in pelvic floor strengthening programs for prenatal and postnatal care.

The classic symptoms of weak pelvic floor muscles to look out for include:

• Urine leakage when laughing, coughing, or sneezing
• Passing or breaking the wind when bending at the waist to pick or lift an object from the anus or vagina
• Frequent constipation
• Pelvic pain
• Low back pain
• Painful intercourse
• Decreased or reduced vaginal sensations
• Heavy vaginal sensation

How Important Are The Pelvic Floor Muscles In Prenatal & Postnatal Periods?

The pelvic floor muscles are the most critical before, during, and after pregnancy (prenatal & postnatal). As mentioned, they directly influence your pelvic organs, sex organs, reproductive organs, bowels, & bladders. Also, a weak pelvic floor is one of the common causes of back pain in men and women.

New mothers and expecting mothers need to pay attention to their pelvic floors as the pelvic floor muscles work much harder during pregnancy. The growing baby in the womb continually weakens the pelvic floor in women. In addition, hormonal changes during pregnancy such as Relaxin and estrogen levels will also cause softening, a form of weakness. Therefore, it is critical for expecting and new mothers to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles before, during, and after pregnancy for optimal health and easier childbirth.

Best Prenatal & Postnatal Exercise

We mentioned the importance of the pelvic floor. Therefore, it should not be a surprise when we encourage you to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, as the benefits are far-reaching! Exercise and strengthening your pelvic floor will minimize the stress and damage imposed by the growing baby during pregnancy. Moreover, it will also help you during childbirth. Kegel exercises are the best and safest prenatal and postnatal exercises you can do at home. However, it is advised for new mothers not to start any exercise programs until you have discussed it with your doctor or one of our experts.

And Here Is How You Do Kegel Exercises:

The main thing to remember with the Kegel exercises is that you will pretend to stop multiple functions simultaneously while doing them. To do Kegel properly, you will need to contract and tighten your muscles as if you are stopping bowel and bladder functions ( stopping peeing, pooping, or passing wind) all at the same time. But, it would help if you emptied your bladder before starting the exercise. Steps to follow for Kegel exercises in prenatal and postnatal care:

1. Find a comfortable position. You can do Kegel in any place, but it is easier to do it while lying on your back on a comfortable surface if it’s your first time.
2. Contact and tighten your muscles as if you are stopping the flow of urine, preventing the passage of wind or bowel motions in a manner that sucks everything upwards.
3. Once contracted, hold the position tightly for 5-seconds
4. Relax and release after a hold time of 5-seconds and repeat ten times.
5. Do three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening)

A study published in the Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescents where 6,454 women were included found Kegel exercises significantly reduced many pregnancy complaints during pregnancy and postpartum periods.

Webster Technique Of Chiropractic

When it’s time for delivery, it’s expected that a baby should come out with the head first. However, that is not always the case. A baby who is feet first or in breach will need more intervention. In this case, the physician must either attempt to turn the head first before the day of the birth or perform a cesarean section. Given these challenges, many people embrace chiropractic treatment during their pregnancies to deal with issues that may cause a breach.

In many cases, the ability of the chiropractor to relax and realign the muscles and ligaments in your pelvis has resulted in the development of the Webster technique. The technique primarily focuses on the sacrum and pelvis and the ligaments and muscles in the surrounding areas. This method assists breech babies to turn their heads in the optimal position naturally when labor starts.

Why Should You Choose Us Over Others?

Although the Webster technique is deemed relatively safe, one disadvantage is that the pelvic realignment is provided with the patient in the prone position or facedown (lying on the stomach). The chiropractic adjustment with the Webster technique is provided through a gentle thrust applied on your tailbone while you lay on your Tommy.

Dr. Yama, our director, has used Webster’s method for decades. In 2010 he modified the technique through the activator technique for safety and to achieve better results. We will not position a pregnant female on their tummy for any period and never during a chiropractic adjustment.

Therefore, at Chiropractic Specialty Center®, you will get a modified form of Webster’s method, one where you will not have to lie on your stomach for the chiropractic treatment. All prenatal treatments at chiropractic Specialty Center® are provided. At the same time, you are in a side-lying position or a supine.