Pregnancy Back Pain

Pregnancy back pain is very common. However, most pregnant women do not know that it is something they do not have to live with until childbirth. Specialized gentle chiropractic manipulation methods can safely and effectively provide significant relief of pregnancy-associated back pain.

Pregnancy Back Pain Statistics

According to the American Pregnancy Association, 50 to 70 percent of all pregnant women have back pain. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, back pain during pregnancy is one of the most common discomforts of pregnancy.

In a February 2007 cross-sectional study reported in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics [1.  Skaggs C, Prather H, Gross G, et.al., Back and pelvic pain in an underserved United States pregnant population: A preliminary descriptive survey. J Manipulative Physiol Theraputics, 2007;30:130-134.], 67% of the 599 women reported musculoskeletal pain in the second trimester of pregnancy.  80% of those women with pain slept less than 4 hours per night. 75% of these women took pain medications. 85% of these women felt they had not been offered effective treatment options for their pregnancy back pain.

Unfortunately, many women are not aware of effective, safe, non-pharmaceutical options for back pain relief. This is partly because many obstetricians and gynecologists are not aware of the safety and efficacy of chiropractic manipulation for pregnancy-related back pain.

Some Causes of Pregnancy Back Pain

• Changing Hormones:  The hormonal changes during pregnancy allow the ligaments to soften in preparation for childbirth.  Ligaments connect bones to bones via the joints.  The joints can more easily get out of proper alignment, causing pain. Restoring proper alignment with specific chiropractic techniques for pregnancy can decrease pain.
• Increased Spinal Curvature: As the baby grows in the womb, a woman’s center of gravity shifts forward.  This causes the low back curvature to increase.  The mid-back and neck curves also increase as a result.  This can cause jamming of the joints of the spine, specifically the facet joints.
• Sacroiliac Joint and Pubic Symphasis Laxity: The pelvic joints in particular become more relaxed in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.  This allows the joints to very easily become misaligned.  The misalignment causes pain and restoring proper alignment via chiropractic care often provides significant relief.
• Stress: With the postural and structural changes in pregnancy stress often finds the weak spots, and during stressful times you may find an increase in back pain during stressful periods in pregnancy.

Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care for Pregnancy-Related Back Pain

A review of previous studies on the effectiveness of chiropractic for pregnant women with lower back pain was published in the July 2008 edition of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics [2.  Stuber K, Smith D. Chiropractic treatment of pregnancy-related low back pain: A systematic review of the evidence. J Manipulative Physiol Theraputics, 2008;31:447-454.].  This study reviewed the previously published journal articles between January 1982 to July 2007.  Six studies met the criteria for inclusion in this review.  Interestingly, the authors noted that 68% to 85% of pregnant women with pregnancy back pain do not look for any care for their lower back pain. The authors theorize that this is because most pregnant women consider back pain to be a normal part of the pregnancy.

In one study, 100% of the 103 women receiving chiropractic treatment attained greater than 50% relief of back pain.  In another study, 84% of the 25 subjects reported lower back pain relief with chiropractic manipulation.  None of the studies reviewed indicated any adverse effects or evidence of harm to either the pregnant woman or unborn child from the chiropractic care.

My Clinical Experience Treating Women with Pregnancy Back Pain

Over the last 19 years, I have treated many women with back pain from pregnancy.  Chiropractic treatments are modified to consider the biomechanical changes and hormonal alterations on a woman’s body for safe and effective treatment, for the mother and the in-utero infant. There are many techniques to safely and effectively perform chiropractic manipulation on pregnant women.

In my experience, one of the most comfortable and effective chiropractic treatment methods that pregnant women seem to prefer is the use of Cox Flexion-Distraction while lying on their side.  I have written about the Cox Flexion method in other articles, such as on herniated neck disc treatment.  With this method during and after treatment, I consistently have women who have had previously had other chiropractic techniques performed by other doctors telling me that they have never felt so good since becoming pregnant.  They often sleep significantly better and are more emotionally stable.

Unfortunately, not all chiropractors have training and advanced experience using Cox Flexion-Distraction.  It is an elective technique taught in some chiropractic schools and offered as a continuing education course to chiropractors.   An article that I wrote in 1991 on this technique was published in the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association.   To my knowledge, on the San Francisco Peninsula where I’m located, I’m one of the few who utilize this method.  I offer this pregnancy back pain treatment in my chiropractic clinic in San Carlos.

Copyright © 2010 Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN. All rights reserved.

http://www.drhusbands.com/blog/ Chiropractic / Pregnancy Back Pain