There are over 6 million children born in the United States, over 14% of these births come with some sort of complication. So, not only is labor painful enough, but there are always risks that may occur. There are several ways to minimize these risks, including exercise, proper nutrition, supplementation, as well as chiropractic care at our Tallahassee FL chiropractic office.

When a woman is pregnant changes within the body occur immediately. All of these changes are to support the life that is growing inside the woman. Pregnancy, as beautiful of an event as it may be, can cause the mother a certain amount of discomfort or pain. During the first trimester, morning sickness is a very common experience. This occurs due to the increase in hormone levels and the growth of the placenta.

With the extreme rise in hormone levels and the growth of the placenta, the liver is working significantly harder which can create a lot of stress on the organ. By receiving care at University Physical Medicine, we will work to eliminate any stress on the nervous system and optimize the function of the liver, compensating for its increased workload.

Headaches are also a common symptom during the first trimester of pregnancy but are known to last throughout the whole pregnancy. There are several possible reasons for this, including misalignment(s) within the neck and upper back, dehydration, stress, in addition to sugar and caffeine withdrawal. Through chiropractic adjustments, proper nutrition, and a healthy sleep cycle these headaches can be greatly reduced or eliminated.

During the second trimester the “baby weight” begins to show and the mother’s body has been undergoing physical changes to accommodate this weight. If you already have misalignments within your spine it is very possible for a pregnancy to exacerbate the symptoms causing headaches, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, or pain. Throughout the pregnancy, the pelvis is shifting forward changing the lower back curve. This is supposed to happen but if you have a misalignment within your lower back or spine already, this could create substantial pain and complications.

The real benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy can be seen when a woman goes into labor. The average length of labor is 10 ½ hours. First-time mothers receiving chiropractic care can experience a 24% decreased labor time and mothers that have had children can experience a 39% decrease in labor time. Most importantly, women that have been receiving regular care often do not find a need for drugs during delivery because they have been able to better prepare their bodies for the experience.