Pregnant? Chiropractic care improves your chances for natural delivery

If you are pregnant and would like to avoid a cesarean section, seeing a chiropractor before and up to your delivery can improve your chances of having a problem-free natural delivery, according to a study out of Australia.

In the U.S. alone, the c-section rate is at least 25 percent and rising, and the post-pregnancy ramifications of the incision can last a lifetime.  It is not unusual for c-section scars to adhere to the mesentery tissues underneath and cause problems such as back, neck and even knee and shoulder pain, because of the way it affects your gait.

For natural delivery to occur, the pelvic floor must be well toned and functional, says the study from Australia.  The study, in final review to be published this June 2016 in the Journal of Manipulative Therapeutics, shows that:

– Chiropractic can have an impact on the pelvic floor muscles.

– Pregnant women who were treated by a chiropractor prior to child birth had a greater ability to relax their pelvic floor muscles at rest.

– This relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles may mean that chiropractic care could be of benefit to pregnant women, as it may help them have a natural vaginal delivery.

This study matters because your pelvic floor muscles are  integral to the birth process, and to the prevention of incontinence and other issues. Kegel exercises for the pelvic floor are not enough; you require proper alignment of the pelvis to develop the forces necessary to push the baby through the birth canal safely and avoid complications.

Chiropractic care may actually enhance your chances of having a natural, complication-free childbirth, which is better for both mother and baby.

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