Osteopaths are regularly consulted for work or sports related back pain but more ladies are turning to osteopathic treatment to help them through their pregnancy.

Back or pelvic pain during pregnancy is not normal, just very common.

The name of the game in pregnancy is adaptation: adaptation to the increased weight, the altered gait and change in weight bearing. Over the course of a pregnancy, a woman’s body must be able to adapt to the gradual increase in her weight and shift in her centre of gravity, as well as make room for the baby as it grows.

Any old injuries, underlying muscle tightness, joint restriction or pelvic instability will impair her ability to adapt and may result in pain. A woman who is biomechanically efficient is less likely to experience musculo-skeletal symptoms during pregnancy.

So what can osteopathy help with?

The role of osteopathic treatment is to maximise the body’s ability to adjust to the changes that occur during pregnancy. Treatment effectively relieves sacro-iliac and pubic symphysis pain, low back, hip or neck pain, headaches and heartburn, just to name a few. Osteopathy involves a full postural assessment and treating the areas of the body that are not adapting AS WELL AS the symptomatic areas.

Before the birth

More and more women are becoming aware of the benefits of this approach and come to pre-empt/prevent pain during their pregnancy. We are also starting to see more and more women who want to improve pelvic function in order to aid a natural delivery.

During the birth

Research is now showing that there is an improvement in birth outcomes with osteopathic treatment during pregnancy. During labour, the passenger must adapt to the passageway: if the mother’s pelvis is mechanically unstable or lacking mobility, it may impede the baby’s passage through the birth canal. Osteopathic treatment helps to restore balance and improve quality of movements of the whole pelvic girdle. This not only aids the labour from a mechanical point of view, but also promotes hormonal and neurological feedback.

After the birth

Finally, osteopathic treatment is invaluable in the post-natal period. All the women we care for during their pregnancy have a post-natal check up. Sacral and lumbar spine mechanics need to be normalised and women often have neck and shoulder discomfort from breast-feeding which is managed well with osteopathic treatment.

Contact us to learn more

All our osteopaths are experienced in treating pregnancy-related problems. If you would like to speak to one of our team before treatment, please do not hesitate to contact us.