PREGNANCY & PEDIATRIC CHIROPRACTOR
One of our specialties is caring for pregnant women and children from infancy to adulthood in Augusta & Evans areas.
Common questions and concerns about the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy.
Q. Should you have Chiropractic care during your pregnancy and delivery?
Yes. Chiropractic care can help you and your baby achieve a healthier pregnancy and delivery. It is gentle and safe. The health benefits have been demonstrated in clinical studies. One study found that women who received Chiropractic adjustments in their third trimester of pregnancy were able to carry and deliver children with more comfort. Another study that incorporated Chiropractic adjustments during the patient's pregnancy found that the need for painkillers during delivery was reduced by half.
Q. How can Chiropractic adjustment help during pregnancy and delivery?
Chiropractic adjustment, consisting of gently realigning the bones of the spine so the body can return to its natural, self-healing state, is a help during pregnancy. During pregnancy, many physiological and endocrinological changes take place for the purpose of creating an optimal environment for the developing baby. Every system in a woman's body is involved. The musculo-skeletal systems are affected by the protruding abdomen, duck-like walk, and increased back curve. The pelvis changes early in pregnancy due to the release of the hormones estrogen and relaxin. This causes the ligaments to relax and soften which, combined with the increased synovial fluid, widens the pelvic joints. This increased mobility is not restricted to the pelvis only, but may be noticed in other joints as well. As the uterus enlarges and expands forward, the center of gravity is displaced. Subluxations of the spine may occur, and this results in associated muscle cramps and nerve pain. This posture change strains the lower back and pelvis, which may result in lower back pain. Half of all women complain of low back pain during pregnancy.
Q. When should you be checked for subluxations?
The best time to be checked for subluxations is before you would like to become pregnant. This is to ensure proper pelvic and spinal alignment before pregnancy begins. If you are already pregnant, chiropractic adjustments can be given throughout your pregnancy and directly after your labor and delivery.
Common questions and concerns about the benefits of chiropractic care for delivery and infant health.
Q. Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Infants?
The chiropractic approach to health care is natural. It does not try to stimulate or inhibit normal body function. Instead, Dr. Walker addresses the important relationship between the nervous system and disease. Various symptoms, such as colic, respiratory distress, fever, earaches, and a lowered resistance may be manifested in young children due to abnormal body function caused by subluxations.
Q. What are subluxations?
The birth process, even under natural and controlled conditions, is potentially traumatic. During the pushing stage of labor, the spine, particularly the neck, may be injured as the baby is compressed and pushing down the birth canal. As the baby is compressed, the small bones of the spine may be pushed out of natural alignment. This causes the nerves to become stretched or twisted, and the vital communication system is disrupted. This neurological disturbance is called a subluxation.
Q. How can subluxations affect my baby?
Subluxation may result in the failure of one or more parts of the body, as well as health in general. Subluxations can also foster the onset of sickness and disease as the body weakens.
Dr. Walker specializes in the detection and correction of subluxation. Instead of treating the symptoms of the disease, Dr. Walker corrects the subluxation so that normal body functions may take place.
Common questions and concerns about the benefits of chiropractic care on childhood health, growth, and development.
Q. Should my child receive chiropractic care?
Many spinal problems begin in childhood and develop gradually. Chiropractic approaches spinal and overall health care from a preventative point of view. Catch a problem before it develops and it can be corrected much quicker.
Right from birth, your child's spine is subjected to daily stresses. The birth process is one of the most traumatic experiences many of us will ever go through. An infant's neck must be bent one way and then the other in order to pass through the birth canal. This can leave a baby's neck with subluxations or misalignments, which can be corrected with Chiropractic treatment. Yes, even a one-day-old infant can be adjusted.
As you watch your child grow and develop I'm sure that you are amazed at how many things she/he does that put stress on their spine. Sleeping on their back with the head turned to one side all night long - which is common for all infants - is a good example. As your child grows, other problems may arise like scoliosis. Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine, which if not detected early may become a serious disfiguring problem. It is important that, when present, it is caught before a child begins his or her "growth spurt" at approximately 12-16 years of age because scoliosis can progress rapidly during these years.
In addition to problems like scoliosis, studies show a much higher prevalence of back pain in children than previously thought. In a study of kids aged 12-15 years old (Olsen et al., 1992, Am. J. Public Health) 30.4% reported a history of low back pain. Mierau and Cassidy (1984) found that 22.8% of elementary school and 33.3% of secondary school aged children complained of low back pain. So don't simply pass off a child's complaint of aches and pains as "growing pains" because there may very well be something real causing his or her pain.