Specific Conditions You May Face During the Prenatal Period
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome, commonly associated with repetitive wrist movements, is also increased during pregnancy. Symptoms can include numbness and tingling of the hand and fingers as well as achiness in the forearm and neck. Chiropractic adjustments applied to the cervical spine and wrist regions can help eliminate inflammation and quicken resolution. You may want to try Vitamin B6 supplements as they have been shown to assist in eliminating the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Coccydynia
This condition is a painful coccyx (the bone located on the end of your sacrum or tailbone.) The coccyx can become irritated and painful in pregnancy. This is especially evident in the third trimester due to the position of the baby and the lack of room for the baby to maneuver. Women who have had trauma in this region prior to pregnancy may have a higher chance of noticing pain in the later stages of pregnancy. An adjustment of the coccyx is often required and can be safely and successfully performed by the chiropractor.
Headaches
Most headaches experienced during pregnancy are muscle tension headaches. These headaches are soft tissue and biomechanical in nature and respond very well to chiropractic care. Fortunately for migraine headache sufferers, migraines may not occur during pregnancy as hormones released counteract the processes involved that normally cause migraines.
Intercostal Neuralgia
Hormonal changes during pregnancy lead to the relaxation of ligaments and joint capsule which include the joints of the ribs. Increased weight gain, growth of the fetus, expansion of the rib cage, a sitting posture and sitting straight up from laying down increase the pressure and/or tension on the rib cage. This can lead to increased rib subluxations and increased in intercostal nerve irritation. Chiropractors adjust the rib heads to alleviate nerve irritation and restore normal positioning of the rib heads.
Meralgia Paresthetica
This condition is a result of pressure on the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve which provides sensation to the skin of the upper lateral thigh. Increased abdominal weight and pressure as well as an increased lumbar curvature can place additional pressure in the area of the nerve which leads to pain, numbness and tingling in the area of the lateral upper thigh. Chiropractors commonly treat this condition successfully.
Sciatic Neuralgia
This common condition is a result of increased pressure on the large collection of nerves in the lower back. Symptoms include back pain with symptoms of pain, numbness and/or tingling radiating down the buttock and leg(s). There are also other causes of this condition which include sacroiliac joint dysfunction, lumbar disc syndrome, lumbar facet joint irritation, and vertebral subluxations.
Chiropractic care is especially effective in treating sciatic neuralgia as the treatment directly addresses the cause.
SPD – Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction
This condition occurs when the pubic symphysis begins to separate or shifts slightly out of its normal alignment. It can cause a great deal of pain at the pubic bone region and is often aggravated by lifting one leg to roll over or to get in or out of your vehicle. It can also make it difficult to walk or to stand up from a sitting position. The symphysis pubis is always evaluated when a pregnancy chiropractor evaluates the pelvis as it plays a key role in the pelvis’s ability to adapt to pregnancy and to return to its normal state after L&D. SPD or pain in this area is usually very easily resolved with chiropractic care and in fact, should not be left without evaluation and/or treatment.
Toxemia Of Pregnancy – Eclampsia
This can be a fatal condition sometimes developing in the 2nd half of pregnancy and has no known cause, although some believe it results from poor nutrition. In the early stages or what we refer to aspre-eclampsia, signs such as high blood pressure (hypertension), protein in the urine (proteinuria), and excessive edema (not always present) occur.