Rosalind came to see me during the 3rd trimester of her pregnancy. She was experiencing significant pain near her pubic bone whenever she was standing or walking. Pregnancy related pain is very common. A woman will be significantly heavier than her body is accustomed to and her change in body shape dramatically changes posture. The net result is an increased likelihood for various musculoskeletal aches and pains. The most significant changes occur around the pelvis resulting in, most commonly, low back pain. In Rosalind’s case, her pain was in the front of her pelvis – at the joints around her pubic bone. The treatment approach to this complaint is not unlike the approach for low back pain. I performed soft tissue therapy to her muscles and ligaments of her pelvis and low back. Then, I adjusted Rosalind’s pelvic joints to bring her pelvis back into a neutral position. After the visit, Rosalind was already feeling relief. I told her to return for a follow-up visit if the pain was still present a few days later. She did not. In fact, I did not see Rosalind again for a year. She returned to my office recently with the wonderful news of a healthy 11-month old baby girl. She told me the treatment completely resolved her pain and resulted in a comfortable final trimester. It’s not always that easy, but in Rosalind’s case she was thrilled that it was.
Did You Know?
The skeletal system is a complicated arrangement of bones adjoined to other bones. Each bone can move to provide us with movement. The bones can also move into wrong positions though. Fundamentally, this is why chiropractors exist. We specialize in aligning the bones of the body. When the bones of the pelvis are out of alignment they can create stress on the joints causing pain. The misalignment can also cause tension on the uterus that houses the growing baby. This tension can prevent the baby from being able to move around within the uterus, resulting in breech position. Keeping the bones of the body in alignment is important, but never more important than during pregnancy.