Pregnancy Headaches and Chiropractic Care

What Causes Pregnancy Headaches?

There are multiple reasons for increased headaches during pregnancy.  There are many body changes including spinal alignment, posture and muscle alignment.  There are also hormonal, sleep and stress changes that affect the frequency of headaches.  Many women experience headaches during pregnancy, especially in the first and third trimesters.  Some women will experience their first migraine while pregnant, while others who are chronic migraine sufferers will experience fewer or none at all.

Causes of more frequent headaches during pregnancy include:

• Misalignments of the upper back and neck joints causing irritated muscles
• Fatigue
• Stress
• Low blood sugar
• Dehydration
• Sleep disturbances
• Sinus congestion
• Withdrawal from caffeine or other foods

It’s extremely important to keep to a regular eating schedule and to drink plenty of water when you’re pregnant to keep blood sugar stable.

Treating Headaches During Pregnancy

Most pharmacutical preventive migraine headache medications will be on the “banned substances” list.  However, t here are a few things you can do to help relieve headaches during your pregnancy:

• Have regular chiropractic adjustments.
• Get a massage to ease sore muscles in the neck and upper spine.
• Identify areas of stress and attempt to avoid or change them.
• Drink a few glasses of water next time you feel a headache coming on. Slight dehydration may be the cause. Drink 2-3 glasses of water to see if symptoms subside.
• Apply a cool compress to your neck area for a tension headache and a warm compress to your face for a sinus headache.
• Lie down in a dark room and rest for a bit.
• Try to eat nutritious foods, maintain a regular sleep schedule, get some exercise, and drink plenty of fluids.

Do not take any type of headache pain reliever, over the counter or herbal remedies, without first consulting a health care professional.

Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

Chiropractic care is a safe and all-natural headache treatment because it looks to eliminate the cause of headaches and not just mask symptoms.  Chiropractic care is not only is it safe for pregnancy headache relief it is one of the top reasons people seek out chiropractic care is for headache relief. Chiropractors are experts in all different kinds of  headache treatment.

During pregnancy, the spine can become misaligned due to an increase in weight, posture changes, center of gravity changes, hormonal changes and pelvic changes. A misaligned spine is one of the most common causes of headaches.

Check out the pregancy posture diagram below.  It is easy to see how your posture can change easily while pregnant.

Pregnancy Posture

Posture is important all the time.  However, it very crucial to maintain proper posture while pregnant. Good posture will decrease backaches, indigestion, and pressure on the bladder.  We at Inwood Chiropractic Center enjoy working with pregnant women.  They get great results and it is a joy to help a pregnant woman.  Check out this little diagram to see how posture affects your pregnancy.

 

 

Chiropractic Delivers a Better Pregnancy

A chiropractor can provide many beneficial treatments that can help the aches and pains that come with being pregnant. The strains of pregnancy are very real and may be more than simply annoying.  Those with previous back pain can have increased symptoms.

The average mom will gain of 25 to 35 pounds, combined with the increased stress placed on the body by the baby, may result in severe discomfort. Studies show that about 50% of all mothers-to-be will develop low-back pain at some point during their pregnancies.  It is more common later in the pregnancy when the baby is pushing against the mother’s low back and sciatic nerve.

How Can Your Chiropractor Help?

• Before:  Be proactive, seeing your chiropractor before you become pregnant is helpful.  They can detect any imbalances in the pelvis or elsewhere in your body that may contribute to pregnancy discomfort.

• During:  Many pregnant women have found that chiropractic care provides relief from the low-back pain from pregnancy. Chiropractic adjustments are safe for the pregnant woman and her baby.  It is a great alternative for those who are trying to avoid medications in treating their back pain. The chiropractor will adjust the pelvis to make sure it is properly aligned.  Pelvic misalignment may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery.  Your chiropractor can also offer nutrition, stretching, lifestyle, ergonomic, and exercise advice to help you enjoy your pregnancy.  There are many exercises that can help build the muscles needed for the birthing process.  Your chiropractor can also go over stretches that will allow for an easier birth.

• After:  Chiropractic care can also help after childbirth. Since the ligaments are still loose the new moms are very prone to being out of alignment for about eight weeks following labor and delivery.  It is very important to be in alignment before the ligaments tighten up and lock the joint in the incorrect position.  Which can cause muscle tension, headaches, wrist/elbow issues, rib discomfort, and shoulder problems.

Center of Gravity and Posture

The center of gravity almost immediately begins to shift forward to the front of the mom-to-be’s pelvis. As the baby grows in size, the center of gravity is pushed even farther forward.   This causes the curve of her lower back to increase which places extra stress on the spinal discs and joints. To compensate for the low back the normal curve of the upper spine increases. Moving the center of gravity will make the them feel more clumsy and prone to falling down.

The Hormone, Relaxin

During pregnancy the body releases a hormone called, relaxin, which yes, relaxes the ligaments.  This allows for pelvic expansion making more room for the baby.  This also causes the ligaments to be more loose all over the body, making it easier to be out of alignment.  This one way a chiropractor can help.  We help re-establish proper alignment and movement of the pelvis, low-back and other joints.

Pregnancy Ergonomics

• Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees to take pressure off your lower back. Full-length “body pillows” or “pregnancy wedges” may be helpful to take pressure off your shoulder. Try to sleep on your left side because it allows better blood flow and helps your kidneys flush waste from your body.
• If you have to sit at a computer for long hours, make your workstation ergonomically correct. Position the computer monitor so the top of the screen is at or below your eye level, and place your feet on a small footrest to take pressure off your legs and feet. Also, breaks every 30 minutes by walking around the office to keep your pelvis from getting stiff.

How Chiropractors Can Help a Breech Presentation

There are specific chiropractic analyses and adjustments for pregnancy which enables chiropractors to establish balance in the pregnant woman’s pelvis, uterus and supporting ligaments. This makes it easier for a breech baby to turn naturally.  A study showed an 82% success rate of babies turning vertex when chiropractors used the Webster Technique. Luckily this is a technique I am trained in.  Optimal baby positioning at birth lowers the chance difficult labor and results in easier and safer deliveries.

Yours in Health,
Dr Brent Smarinsky

Study showing 70% of women had significant benefit from chiropractic care
Berg G, et al. Low back pain during pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol 1988;71:71-5

Study showing that chiropractic adjustments re-establish proper movement an function in the pelvis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1829312

Study showing Chiropractic care helped turn breech babies 82% of the time
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12183701