Prenatal chiropractic care is a safe, drug-free approach to managing pregnancy-related pain and discomfort while supporting your body's natural changes. Here's what you need to know:
Key Benefits:
Common Issues Addressed:
Safety: Generally safe when performed by trained professionals, though you should always consult your doctor first.
Pregnancy brings joy, but it also brings significant physical challenges. As your body adapts to support a growing baby, you might experience new aches and pains. The good news is you don't have to simply endure it. Your body undergoes remarkable changes - from weight gain and a shifted center of gravity to hormonal fluctuations that loosen ligaments. These changes can create mechanical stress on your spine, pelvis, and joints.
I'm Dr. Gannon Ward, and since 2008, I've helped families achieve optimal health, including specialized prenatal chiropractic care for expectant mothers. My experience shows how transformative gentle, targeted adjustments can be for creating a more comfortable pregnancy.
Prenatal chiropractic care terms to remember:
Pregnancy is a time of major physical change that can lead to aches and pains in your back, pelvis, or hips. These discomforts often stem from a mix of mechanical shifts, hormonal changes, and circulatory adaptations. Understanding these reasons is the first step to feeling better.
As your baby grows, your body makes significant mechanical adjustments. Most women gain 20-40 pounds, which pulls the body's center of gravity forward. To compensate, your posture shifts, and your lower back may curve more - a change called lumbar lordosis. This deeper curve puts extra pressure on your spinal discs, ligaments, and muscles.
This stress is why up to 90% of expectant moms experience back pain. For about 35%, the pain is moderate to severe. This strain can also lead to pelvic pain, hip discomfort, and sciatica, a sharp pain shooting down the leg. You can learn more about these changes from this scientific research on back pain during pregnancy.
Your body is also buzzing with hormones, especially relaxin. As its name suggests, relaxin's job is to relax your ligaments and joints, particularly in the pelvis, to prepare for delivery. However, relaxin affects all your ligaments, leading to joint instability throughout your body. This can cause pelvic hypermobility, where the sacroiliac joints connecting your pelvis to your spine become too mobile, leading to pain in your lower back, hips, and pubic bone. The very hormone helping you prepare for birth can also cause aches along the way. Learn more on the Relaxin hormone.
Additionally, your blood volume can increase by up to 50%. This increased fluid can sometimes lead to inflammation and swelling (edema), adding to joint discomfort and pressure on nerves.
While professional support like prenatal chiropractic care offers significant relief, you can also do a lot at home to manage daily aches. Here are some simple tips:
These home strategies complement professional care. For more localized tips, check out more info about back pain relief lehi.
Now that we understand the causes of pregnancy pain, let's explore how prenatal chiropractic care can help. Instead of masking symptoms with medication, chiropractic care addresses the root cause of your discomfort by focusing on spinal alignment, nervous system function, pelvic balance, and overall musculoskeletal health.
Gentle adjustments to misaligned joints can reduce nerve interference, improve joint movement, and help overworked muscles relax. The result is significant pain reduction and improved mobility, allowing you to better enjoy this special time.
Your pelvis is the foundation of your body, and its alignment is crucial during pregnancy, especially as the relaxin hormone loosens your joints. A misaligned pelvis creates uneven tension in the muscles and ligaments supporting your uterus, which can cause discomfort and limit the space available for your baby.
We look for sacral subluxation (misalignment of the triangular bone at the base of your spine) and address round ligament tension. These ligaments support your uterus, and when tight or pulled unevenly, they can cause sharp, sudden pains.
Through gentle chiropractic adjustments, we help restore proper balance and movement to your pelvis. This relieves pressure on surrounding tissues and nerves, creating a more comfortable environment for both you and your baby. This is part of our approach to comprehensive wellness, which you can learn about at holistic health lehi.
An impressive 75% of pregnant patients report significant pain relief from chiropractic care. This isn't a minor improvement - it's real relief from the aches that can make pregnancy challenging.
When discussing prenatal care and baby positioning, the Webster Technique is essential. Developed by Dr. Larry Webster, this specialized approach focuses on achieving optimal pelvic balance during pregnancy.
It's important to know that the Webster Technique is not a baby-turning technique. We do not manually move your baby. Instead, we correct sacral subluxation and address tension in the pelvis and round ligaments.
By balancing the pelvis, we reduce intrauterine constraint - any pulling or twisting on the uterus that creates tight spaces. This gives your baby more room to move naturally into the best position for birth. The technique involves sacral analysis, gentle adjustments, and round ligament release through light massage.
Studies show an 82% success rate of babies turning to the head-down position when the Webster Technique is used. By creating a balanced pelvic environment, babies often move into the optimal position on their own. For more details, visit the Webster Technique resource page.
The benefits of prenatal chiropractic care extend beyond pain relief during pregnancy. They can significantly impact labor and delivery, potentially leading to an easier, shorter birth experience for you and a better start for your baby.
One of the most exciting benefits of regular chiropractic care is its positive influence on labor. By ensuring optimal pelvic alignment, we help create a clear, unobstructed pathway for the baby, which can lead to a more efficient birth.
Research shows that chiropractic care may reduce labor times. For first-time mothers, labor times are, on average, 25% shorter. For mothers who have given birth before, the reduction is even greater, at 31% shorter. A balanced pelvis can also decrease the incidence of intense 'back labor.'
This optimal alignment can also reduce the need for medical interventions like forceps, vacuum extraction, or C-sections, as the birth process is often less complicated. A narrative review of pregnancy and chiropractic highlights how chiropractic care supports the body's natural ability to give birth.
Prenatal chiropractic care is also profoundly beneficial for your baby. A properly aligned pelvis provides the best possible environment for your baby to grow and develop. When the pelvis is misaligned, it can create intrauterine constraint, restricting the space available for your baby and making it harder for them to move into the optimal head-down (vertex) position for birth.
This is especially important for babies in a breech presentation (feet or bottom first). As mentioned, the Webster Technique has an 82% success rate in helping babies turn vertex. By releasing tension and balancing the pelvis, we give your baby the best chance to naturally move into the ideal position for delivery. This supports a smoother, safer birth process. For more on fetal positioning, you can consult ACOG information on breech babies.
It's natural to have questions about safety during pregnancy. We want to reassure you that prenatal chiropractic care, when provided by a qualified professional, is widely considered a safe and effective way to manage discomfort and support your body.
Chiropractic care is generally safe throughout all stages of pregnancy, with no known contraindications for a normal pregnancy. However, it's always wise to consult your primary doctor or OB/GYN first to ensure your entire healthcare team is coordinated. The risk of complications is very low, as chiropractors specializing in prenatal care use gentle, modified techniques.
While safe for most, there are rare situations where chiropractic care is not recommended. These include serious medical conditions like vaginal bleeding, placenta previa, placental abruption, ectopic pregnancy, or moderate to severe toxemia (preeclampsia). If you experience these issues, you should seek immediate medical attention. For general information on safety, you can refer to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
Your comfort and safety are our top priorities. We use specialized tables with adjustable or drop-away sections that allow you to lie face-down without any pressure on your growing belly. We also use supportive pregnancy pillows to keep you comfortable in any position.
As your pregnancy progresses, we use modified positions - such as lying on your side, sitting, or kneeling - to avoid any discomfort or restricted blood flow. We will never apply direct pressure to your abdomen. Because the relaxin hormone softens your ligaments, less force is needed for an adjustment, making the techniques even gentler. We also provide tips for stretches and exercises you can do at home.
Choosing the right chiropractor is an important decision. Look for a provider with specialized training in prenatal care.
At Atmosphere Chiropractic & Wellness, our chiropractors have specialized training in prenatal chiropractic care to ensure you receive the highest standard of care in Lehi, Utah. You can also find certified providers through resources like ICPA4Kids.org.
As expectant mothers explore their options, many thoughtful questions arise about prenatal chiropractic care. Here are answers to the most common concerns we hear at our Lehi clinic.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as every pregnancy is unique. Your care schedule will be personalized to your needs. Some women benefit from weekly visits during acute pain, while others do well with monthly maintenance care, often starting in the second trimester. Your chiropractor will assess your condition and goals to create a plan that works for you, adjusting the frequency as needed throughout your pregnancy.
Coverage varies significantly by plan. The good news is that many insurance plans cover chiropractic visits. However, the specifics regarding the number of visits, copays, and deductibles differ. It's best to check with your provider about coverage for "prenatal chiropractic care." Our team at Atmosphere Chiropractic & Wellness is happy to help verify your benefits to give you an estimate of out-of-pocket costs. Many patients find the investment worthwhile for the relief and improved quality of life it provides.
Absolutely. Prenatal chiropractic care is a complementary therapy designed to work alongside other treatments, not replace them. We often see patients who are also receiving prenatal massage, physical therapy, or acupuncture. The key is communication. Keep all your healthcare providers, including your OB/GYN or midwife, informed about the treatments you are receiving so everyone can work together to support your health. Our clinic offers several complementary services, like massage therapy, to provide integrated care.
Pregnancy is a magical time, but it doesn't have to be an uncomfortable one. You don't have to simply endure the common aches and pains that come with it. Prenatal chiropractic care offers a safe, drug-free way to address the root causes of your discomfort, from back pain and pelvic aches to headaches.
We see about 75% of our pregnant patients report significant pain relief. The benefits extend to labor and delivery, where a balanced pelvis can lead to an easier, shorter birth, with studies showing labor times reduced by 25-31%. This helps create an optimal environment for your baby to move into the best position for birth.
Here at Atmosphere Chiropractic & Wellness in Lehi, Utah, we are dedicated to empowering expectant mothers. Our specialized prenatal chiropractic care is designed to support your body's journey, helping you feel your best every step of the way. Don't let discomfort overshadow this special time.
Are you ready to accept a more comfortable pregnancy and prepare your body for birth?
Prenatal chiropractic care is a safe, drug-free approach to managing pregnancy-related pain and discomfort while supporting your body's natural changes. Here's what you need to know:
Key Benefits:
Common Issues Addressed:
Safety: Generally safe when performed by trained professionals, though you should always consult your doctor first.
Pregnancy brings joy, but it also brings significant physical challenges. As your body adapts to support a growing baby, you might experience new aches and pains. The good news is you don't have to simply endure it. Your body undergoes remarkable changes - from weight gain and a shifted center of gravity to hormonal fluctuations that loosen ligaments. These changes can create mechanical stress on your spine, pelvis, and joints.
I'm Dr. Gannon Ward, and since 2008, I've helped families achieve optimal health, including specialized prenatal chiropractic care for expectant mothers. My experience shows how transformative gentle, targeted adjustments can be for creating a more comfortable pregnancy.
Prenatal chiropractic care terms to remember:
Pregnancy is a time of major physical change that can lead to aches and pains in your back, pelvis, or hips. These discomforts often stem from a mix of mechanical shifts, hormonal changes, and circulatory adaptations. Understanding these reasons is the first step to feeling better.
As your baby grows, your body makes significant mechanical adjustments. Most women gain 20-40 pounds, which pulls the body's center of gravity forward. To compensate, your posture shifts, and your lower back may curve more - a change called lumbar lordosis. This deeper curve puts extra pressure on your spinal discs, ligaments, and muscles.
This stress is why up to 90% of expectant moms experience back pain. For about 35%, the pain is moderate to severe. This strain can also lead to pelvic pain, hip discomfort, and sciatica, a sharp pain shooting down the leg. You can learn more about these changes from this scientific research on back pain during pregnancy.
Your body is also buzzing with hormones, especially relaxin. As its name suggests, relaxin's job is to relax your ligaments and joints, particularly in the pelvis, to prepare for delivery. However, relaxin affects all your ligaments, leading to joint instability throughout your body. This can cause pelvic hypermobility, where the sacroiliac joints connecting your pelvis to your spine become too mobile, leading to pain in your lower back, hips, and pubic bone. The very hormone helping you prepare for birth can also cause aches along the way. Learn more on the Relaxin hormone.
Additionally, your blood volume can increase by up to 50%. This increased fluid can sometimes lead to inflammation and swelling (edema), adding to joint discomfort and pressure on nerves.
While professional support like prenatal chiropractic care offers significant relief, you can also do a lot at home to manage daily aches. Here are some simple tips:
These home strategies complement professional care. For more localized tips, check out more info about back pain relief lehi.
Now that we understand the causes of pregnancy pain, let's explore how prenatal chiropractic care can help. Instead of masking symptoms with medication, chiropractic care addresses the root cause of your discomfort by focusing on spinal alignment, nervous system function, pelvic balance, and overall musculoskeletal health.
Gentle adjustments to misaligned joints can reduce nerve interference, improve joint movement, and help overworked muscles relax. The result is significant pain reduction and improved mobility, allowing you to better enjoy this special time.
Your pelvis is the foundation of your body, and its alignment is crucial during pregnancy, especially as the relaxin hormone loosens your joints. A misaligned pelvis creates uneven tension in the muscles and ligaments supporting your uterus, which can cause discomfort and limit the space available for your baby.
We look for sacral subluxation (misalignment of the triangular bone at the base of your spine) and address round ligament tension. These ligaments support your uterus, and when tight or pulled unevenly, they can cause sharp, sudden pains.
Through gentle chiropractic adjustments, we help restore proper balance and movement to your pelvis. This relieves pressure on surrounding tissues and nerves, creating a more comfortable environment for both you and your baby. This is part of our approach to comprehensive wellness, which you can learn about at holistic health lehi.
An impressive 75% of pregnant patients report significant pain relief from chiropractic care. This isn't a minor improvement - it's real relief from the aches that can make pregnancy challenging.
When discussing prenatal care and baby positioning, the Webster Technique is essential. Developed by Dr. Larry Webster, this specialized approach focuses on achieving optimal pelvic balance during pregnancy.
It's important to know that the Webster Technique is not a baby-turning technique. We do not manually move your baby. Instead, we correct sacral subluxation and address tension in the pelvis and round ligaments.
By balancing the pelvis, we reduce intrauterine constraint - any pulling or twisting on the uterus that creates tight spaces. This gives your baby more room to move naturally into the best position for birth. The technique involves sacral analysis, gentle adjustments, and round ligament release through light massage.
Studies show an 82% success rate of babies turning to the head-down position when the Webster Technique is used. By creating a balanced pelvic environment, babies often move into the optimal position on their own. For more details, visit the Webster Technique resource page.
The benefits of prenatal chiropractic care extend beyond pain relief during pregnancy. They can significantly impact labor and delivery, potentially leading to an easier, shorter birth experience for you and a better start for your baby.
One of the most exciting benefits of regular chiropractic care is its positive influence on labor. By ensuring optimal pelvic alignment, we help create a clear, unobstructed pathway for the baby, which can lead to a more efficient birth.
Research shows that chiropractic care may reduce labor times. For first-time mothers, labor times are, on average, 25% shorter. For mothers who have given birth before, the reduction is even greater, at 31% shorter. A balanced pelvis can also decrease the incidence of intense 'back labor.'
This optimal alignment can also reduce the need for medical interventions like forceps, vacuum extraction, or C-sections, as the birth process is often less complicated. A narrative review of pregnancy and chiropractic highlights how chiropractic care supports the body's natural ability to give birth.
Prenatal chiropractic care is also profoundly beneficial for your baby. A properly aligned pelvis provides the best possible environment for your baby to grow and develop. When the pelvis is misaligned, it can create intrauterine constraint, restricting the space available for your baby and making it harder for them to move into the optimal head-down (vertex) position for birth.
This is especially important for babies in a breech presentation (feet or bottom first). As mentioned, the Webster Technique has an 82% success rate in helping babies turn vertex. By releasing tension and balancing the pelvis, we give your baby the best chance to naturally move into the ideal position for delivery. This supports a smoother, safer birth process. For more on fetal positioning, you can consult ACOG information on breech babies.
It's natural to have questions about safety during pregnancy. We want to reassure you that prenatal chiropractic care, when provided by a qualified professional, is widely considered a safe and effective way to manage discomfort and support your body.
Chiropractic care is generally safe throughout all stages of pregnancy, with no known contraindications for a normal pregnancy. However, it's always wise to consult your primary doctor or OB/GYN first to ensure your entire healthcare team is coordinated. The risk of complications is very low, as chiropractors specializing in prenatal care use gentle, modified techniques.
While safe for most, there are rare situations where chiropractic care is not recommended. These include serious medical conditions like vaginal bleeding, placenta previa, placental abruption, ectopic pregnancy, or moderate to severe toxemia (preeclampsia). If you experience these issues, you should seek immediate medical attention. For general information on safety, you can refer to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
Your comfort and safety are our top priorities. We use specialized tables with adjustable or drop-away sections that allow you to lie face-down without any pressure on your growing belly. We also use supportive pregnancy pillows to keep you comfortable in any position.
As your pregnancy progresses, we use modified positions - such as lying on your side, sitting, or kneeling - to avoid any discomfort or restricted blood flow. We will never apply direct pressure to your abdomen. Because the relaxin hormone softens your ligaments, less force is needed for an adjustment, making the techniques even gentler. We also provide tips for stretches and exercises you can do at home.
Choosing the right chiropractor is an important decision. Look for a provider with specialized training in prenatal care.
At Atmosphere Chiropractic & Wellness, our chiropractors have specialized training in prenatal chiropractic care to ensure you receive the highest standard of care in Lehi, Utah. You can also find certified providers through resources like ICPA4Kids.org.
As expectant mothers explore their options, many thoughtful questions arise about prenatal chiropractic care. Here are answers to the most common concerns we hear at our Lehi clinic.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as every pregnancy is unique. Your care schedule will be personalized to your needs. Some women benefit from weekly visits during acute pain, while others do well with monthly maintenance care, often starting in the second trimester. Your chiropractor will assess your condition and goals to create a plan that works for you, adjusting the frequency as needed throughout your pregnancy.
Coverage varies significantly by plan. The good news is that many insurance plans cover chiropractic visits. However, the specifics regarding the number of visits, copays, and deductibles differ. It's best to check with your provider about coverage for "prenatal chiropractic care." Our team at Atmosphere Chiropractic & Wellness is happy to help verify your benefits to give you an estimate of out-of-pocket costs. Many patients find the investment worthwhile for the relief and improved quality of life it provides.
Absolutely. Prenatal chiropractic care is a complementary therapy designed to work alongside other treatments, not replace them. We often see patients who are also receiving prenatal massage, physical therapy, or acupuncture. The key is communication. Keep all your healthcare providers, including your OB/GYN or midwife, informed about the treatments you are receiving so everyone can work together to support your health. Our clinic offers several complementary services, like massage therapy, to provide integrated care.
Pregnancy is a magical time, but it doesn't have to be an uncomfortable one. You don't have to simply endure the common aches and pains that come with it. Prenatal chiropractic care offers a safe, drug-free way to address the root causes of your discomfort, from back pain and pelvic aches to headaches.
We see about 75% of our pregnant patients report significant pain relief. The benefits extend to labor and delivery, where a balanced pelvis can lead to an easier, shorter birth, with studies showing labor times reduced by 25-31%. This helps create an optimal environment for your baby to move into the best position for birth.
Here at Atmosphere Chiropractic & Wellness in Lehi, Utah, we are dedicated to empowering expectant mothers. Our specialized prenatal chiropractic care is designed to support your body's journey, helping you feel your best every step of the way. Don't let discomfort overshadow this special time.
Are you ready to accept a more comfortable pregnancy and prepare your body for birth?