Cranial Osteopathy Can Help Your Back Pain In Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a unique and powerful experience. Enormous physical, hormonal and emotional changes take place over a relatively short period of time. The body has to adapt to carrying up to 20lb of baby, waters and placenta, which can impose physical strain on all the organs and tissues.
Osteopaths see three important stages in this process:
* Pregnancy and its physical discomforts,
* The demands of labour,
* Recovery of the mother after birth.
An Osteopath can:
* Provide advice on breathing techniques, stretches and exercise you can do to maintain your health and well being throughout your pregnancy,
* Help prepare ‘the way’ for a more trouble free childbirth, by improving flexibility in the pelvis and abdomen,
* Help the mother to recover after birth.
DISCOMFORTS OF PREGNANCY
Conservative Osteopathic treatment can ease some of the symptoms typically associated with pregnancy including:
* Aches and pains (back, pelvic, groin, gluteal, neck and shoulder pain etc),
* Sciatica,
* Headaches,
* Nausea and vomiting,
* Heartburn.
Aches and pains are common during pregnancy, as the body changes shape to accommodate the increasing size and weight of the uterus. This involves considerable changes to posture. If the mother has existing back problems, or strains in her body from past accidents or trauma, it may be more difficult for her to accommodate these changes, and she may suffer more discomfort as a result.
The ligaments of the whole body soften during pregnancy due to the action of hormones. This allows the bones of the pelvis to separate slightly during the delivery to facilitate the passage of the baby’s head through the pelvis. Unfortunately this softening affects the whole body and makes it more vulnerable to strain during the pregnancy.
Postural changes may cause back and neck pain, headaches, sciatica, aching legs and undue fatigue. Nausea and vomiting may cause debilitating physical strains in the diaphragm and ribs, whilst expansion of the uterus may stretch and squash the diaphragm contributing to heartburn. Postural changes throughout the lower ribs and spine may further impede the action of the diaphragm, making breathing difficult. In addition, tension within the pelvis or diaphragm area may also increase resistance to the return of venous blood to the heart from the lower half of the body, causing or aggravating varicose veins in the legs and haemorrhoids.
LABOUR PREPARATION AND POSITION OF BABY
As labour is likely to be more difficult if the baby is not lying correctly, it is worth trying to help them to move into a better position. The baby generally settles in a head downward position and facing backward with his spine curled in the same direction as his mother’s spine. This puts the baby in the most advantageous position for passing through the birth canal during labour.
Self-Help Tips to Encourage the Baby to Lie Correctly
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As the baby grows and takes up more space within the abdomen there is less space for them to move about, and they will find their own preferred position. The mother’s posture has to adapt to accommodate the position of the baby, and if this conflicts with her own postural needs it may cause undue aches and pains. This is the reason that one pregnancy may be much more uncomfortable to carry than another.
An important part of preparation for childbirth is to ensure that the mother’s pelvis is structurally balanced and able to allow the passage of the baby down the birth canal.
Trauma to the pelvic bones, coccyx or sacrum at any time in a mother’s life can leave increased tension in muscles, and strains within the ligaments and bones of the pelvis. This can limit the ability of these bones to separate and move out of the way during labour, and thus limit the size of the pelvic outlet. Osteopathic treatment aims to release old strains within the pelvis, thus giving the best chance of an easy and uncomplicated labour.
IS OSTEOPATHY SAFE DURING PREGNANCY?
Osteopathy is safe and gentle for both the mother and the baby. The techniques used during pregnancy are carefully selected to minimise any risk. These techniques are gentle as the comfort and safety of the mother and baby prioritises the treatment protocol.
Osteopaths are highly skilled and undergo a minimum of 4-5 years training. Gentle osteopathic techniques are perfectly safe at all stages of pregnancy. The cranial osteopathic approach is a particularly gentle way of working with the body’s own natural mechanism for releasing and re-balancing tensions, without force.
POST BIRTH RECOVERY FOR MOTHER AND BABY
The mother’s pelvis is vulnerable to lasting strains from the forces involved, particularly after a difficult delivery. Some of these strains can have a profound effect on the nervous system and contribute to postnatal depression.
After giving birth, the body not only has to recover from the changes that it made during pregnancy but also from the effects of delivery. All this whilst doing the very physically and mentally demanding job of caring for the new baby. Caring for a baby can place enormous strain on the back, during such activities as nursing in poor positions, lifting car seats especially in and out of the car, reaching over the cot, or carrying a child on one hip.
Unresolved childbirth stresses in the mother can contribute to ongoing back problems, period problems, stress incontinence, constipation, headaches etc.
Conservative Osteopathic treatment aims to help the mother to return to a normal, physical and emotional state after birth by releasing strains from both pregnancy and labour. This allows the mother to relax and enjoy her new baby.
The baby can suffer long-lasting effects from the moulding process during birth and an osteopathic check-up is recommended
Osteopaths will always ensure that patients and their babies and children seek appropriate medical advice and treatment alongside any osteopathic treatment and will refer patients back to their GP if a problem is not suitable for Osteopathic treatment.
If are pregnant and need to speak to us, please do not hesitate in giving us a call.
Zahir Chaudhary, BA (Hons), BSc (Hons), ND, M Ost.Med.
Email: emergencyosteopath@gmail.com
Call: 0208 423 6209; 0792 100 4705
Web: https://www.sportsinjuriesspecialist.co.uk
Chelsea Osteopaths, 208 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London. SW10 9PJ.
Harrow Osteopathic Clinic, 9 Littleton Road, Harrow, Middlesex. HA1 3SY.
Wembley Osteopaths, 31 Norval Road, Wembley, Middlesex. HA0 3TD.
David Lloyd Sudbury Hill, Greenford Road, Ealing, Middlesex. UB6 0HX.
Fitness First Alperton Osteopaths, 197 Ealing Road, Atlip Centre, Alperton, Wembley, Middlesex. HA0 4LW.
Treatment: Osteopathy and Pregnancy, Back Pain and Pregnancy, Lower Back Pain in Pregnancy, Slipped Disc, Herniated Disc, Discal Bulge, Annular Strain, Torn/Ruptured Disc, Sciatica Treatment at Chelsea Osteopaths_ Harrow Osteopathic Clinic/Harrow Osteopaths_Wembley Osteopaths_ Osteopath in Chelsea_Osteopath in Harrow_Osteopath in Wembley_ by The Sports Injuries Specialist – Registered Osteopath. Regulated: Chelsea Osteopaths, Harrow Osteopathic Clinic/Harrow Osteopaths, Wembley Osteopaths – The Sports Injuries Specialist – Registered Osteopath. How Back Pain – Lower Back Pain – Slipped Disc – Herniated Disc – Discal Bulge – Annular Strain/Torn Disc – Sciatica in Pregnancy is treated by The Sports Injuries Specialist – Registered Osteopath, Osteopath in Chelsea_Osteopath in Harrow_Osteopath in Wembley.
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