A woman's body undergoes numerous changes from the time of conception to the moment of delivery.   Some of these changes are hormonal and some are structural.   A pregnant woman has many considerations in keeping with the goal of a healthy, comfortable pregnancy and the doctors at Zimmer Chiropractic are excited to be a part of that journey.    Dr. Zimmer and Dr. Eaton are both experienced at treating pregnant females.   Dr. Eaton has taken additional educational seminars about prenatal care and has also been trained in Webster technique which is a technique used to remove uterine constraint in order to allow the baby to achieve optimal positioning for birth.   Dr. Zimmer, who has a master's degree in nutrition, is prepared to guide you through the nutritional changes that are essential both during pregnancy and following birth, especially in women who are considering breast feeding.  

In order to completely understand the benefits of chiropractic intervention during pregnancy, one must first understand the varied changes, both hormonally and structurally, that occur throughout pregnancy.   Following conception, a hormone called relaxin is released from the ovaries.   Within the first trimester, relaxin is released at a 10 fold increase with another spike occurring right before birth.   The function of this hormone is to prepare a woman’s body for carrying and delivering a child by relaxing the ligaments around the pelvis so that the proper expansion may occur.   While this hormone and its effects are necessary for childbirth, relaxin can also lead to joint laxity and increased inflammation in the joints that make up the pelvic ring.    The primary joints that are affected by pregnancy are the sacroiliac joints and the pubic symphysis.    Both of these joints are considered fibrous joints.   In a non-pregnant female, there is very limited motion occurring at these joints.   With the introduction of relaxin, the fibrous ligaments are softened and become pliable which can reduce joint stability and lead to inflammation and pain.

Another important change to note is the almost immediate change in the center of gravity that occurs as a woman’s belly begins to swell.   As the pregnant belly grows, the normal curvature or “lordosis” that is present in the lumbar spine may increase which can lead to irritation of the facet joints in the lumbar spine.   As this postural change begins to take place, many pregnant females also begin to experience mid-back pain as a result of increase in breast size and resultant altered posture in the thoracic spine.    Pelvic floor muscles also become weakened and softened by the release of relaxin which leads to lack of stability.   Muscular imbalances that may have been present long before pregnancy are exaggerated and can be addressed appropriately and treated throughout your pregnancy.

Special considerations must be made when treating pregnant women.   At Zimmer Chiropractic, the doctors will begin with a full history and physical including a postural assessment to determine what treatment protocol would suit you best throughout your pregnancy.    Since a pregnant woman's joints may be lax and pliable, gentle mobilizations and adjustive techniques specifically designed for pregnant women will be used to restore balance to the pelvis.    Many women require the addition of simple rehabilitative strengthening exercises to better stabilize the pelvis, alleviate pain, and prepare for delivery.    However, pain is not the only reason to seek chiropractic intervention if you are pregnant.   One important consideration with pregnant women is intrauterine constraint or torsion.   The uterus is supported by ligaments that attach to the bones within the pelvic ring.   If these joints become rotated and lose their mechanical advantage, the result may be tension or twisting of these uterine ligaments.   This may decrease the potential space inside the uterus for the fetus and prevent the baby from attaining optimal positioning at the time of delivery.   Dr. Eaton is trained to palpate and determine fetal positioning in women who are in the third trimester and perform appropriate techniques to alleviate intrauterine constraint.   Recent research also indicates that women who receive chiropractic adjustments throughout their pregnancy report easier and less stressful deliveries and a decrease in the incidence of back labor (Diakow, 1991)

By far the most common complaint from  pregnant females is low back pain.   However, here at Zimmer Chiropractic we treat any number of conditions that are associated with the changes occurring in the female body during different phases of pregnancy.   Below is a list of common complaints associated with pregnancy that can be managed with chiropractic care:

Chiropractic medicine remains the safest form of alternative medicine for pregnant and non-pregnant patients.   At Zimmer Chiropractic, we have special tables that adjust to a woman’s growing belly in order to ensure comfort and safety for both mother and child.   There are absolutely no contraindications to chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy.   In fact, Dr. Zimmer and Dr. Eaton receive referrals from many of the obstetrician/gynecologists (obgyn) in the Indianapolis area and encourage pregnant women to ask their doctors about the benefits of chiropractic treatment.