Stop Sciatica & Back Pain

Many expectant mothers experience low back pain during their pregnancies, but unfortunately, the majority of them don’t know there are safe and effective, non-drug treatments available.

Pregnant women who experience back pain or sciatica due so partly because of their weight increase; the average expectant mother gains between 25 and 35 pounds.

There are other changes to the pregnant woman’s body. As the baby grows, it can put pressure on the nerves, muscles and ligaments of the mother’s back and pelvis.

Pressure is increased as the baby grows even larger and descends in the uterus, and as the baby grows, the mother-to-be may overcompensate for the extra weight by leaning back.

To try and prevent back pain, pregnant women can exercise, especially if they were active before becoming pregnant. Walking, swimming and other gentle exercises are safe, even for first-timers, but they should check with their obstetrician first.

They also should wear flat shoes, because heels tip the pelvis forward, making pregnant women overcompensate by leaning backward.

Pregnant women are rightly concerned about taking medications, even over-the-counter ones, because they may damage the baby or cause birth defects.

Chiropractic care is an effective, alternative treatment that is safe for both the mother and the baby. A chiropractor can adjust the pregnant woman’s back either manually or with an FDA-approved handheld adjustment tool that delivers a gentle tap without twisting or cracking of the nerves, muscles or ligaments.

It is also worth considering the Webster Technique. This provides a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and facilitates biomechanical balance in pelvic structures, muscles and ligaments.

This technique has been shown to reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint, and allows the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.

In layman’s terms, it’s a safe technique chiropractors can perform that reduces strain on the uterus, letting it return to its normal state and giving the baby a chance to turn naturally.

A recent ACA (American Chiropractic Association) press release refers to a study published in October 2005 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT).

The study shows that “chiropractic and medical care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, but chiropractic care produces significantly better outcomes”.

It compared a group of patients with chronic low-back pain who underwent chiropractic treatment showed higher pain relief and satisfaction with the care and lower disability scores with a group that underwent conventional medical care.

The chiropractic care provided included:
- spinal manipulation,
- physical therapies,
- an exercise plan, and
- self-care patient education.

Medical care consisted of
- prescription drugs,
- an exercise plan, self-care advice, and
- a referral to a physical therapist (in approximately 25 percent of cases).

Both acute and chronic patients showed better outcomes in pain and disability reduction and higher satisfaction with their care after undergoing chiropractic treatment.

The advantage of chiropractic care was clinically significant in the chronic patient group at 3 months’ follow-up, although smaller in the acute group.

The press release can be found at http://www.amerchiro.org/media/releases/111505.shtml

We recommend the Better Back System as a great complement to chiropractic care, because its unique exercises strengthen the core stability muscles in your back reducing the chance of back injury.