RESEARCH

It is a common observation that birthing is more comfortable for women who were under chiropractic care during pregnancy. The following studies mention how common spinal problems (causing pregnancy symptoms) are resolved during pregnancy (up to 90%) and best of all, how Chiropractic is safe, effective, and drug free; ideally suited for the health and well being of both mother and child.

The role of chiropractic in pregnancy. Vallone S. Int’l Chiropractic Assn. Review Summer 2002. p 47-51

“By encouraging regular chiropractic and maternal self care (which includes good nutrition, regular stretching and exercise, and stress management) we can improve our patient’s probability of a successful natural delivery”

Complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy: a survey of North Carolina certified nurse-midwives. Allaire AD, Moos WK, Wells SR. Obstet Gynecol 2000; 95 (1):19-23.

In this survey of 82 certified nurse-midwives, 93.39% reported they recommended patients to alternative health care providers. 57.3% said they referred women to chiropractors.

Follow-up of patients with low back pain during pregnancy.Brynhildsen J, Hansson A, Persson A, Hammar M. In: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Feb 1998; 9(12): 182-6.

Women with severe low back pain during pregnancy have an extremely high risk of experiencing both new episodes of more severe low back pain during future pregnancies and when not pregnant.

Note: According to revised guidelines from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, vaginal delivery should be routine in women who previously underwent cesarean section birth, Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, Feb. 1989, Vol. 89 No. 2, p. 164.

An effective drug-free approach to premature contractions. Phillips C. ICA Review Oct. 1998.

Dr. Carol Phillips has done an amazing job of integrating chiropractic with CranioSacral T therapy to develop a number of techniques to help women in labor and pregnancy. Using simple procedures, she teaches healthcare providers unique methods of helping their pregnant patients and young children.

She writes:

“What is it about chiropractic care and pregnancy? Why do so many women who receive care during pregnancy always ask us, “How in the world do other women get through pregnancy without adjustments?”.“

This paper presents a simple procedure doctors can teach spouses and birth assistants in order to prevent and correct “one of the most serious complaints associated with imbalance - premature contractions”.

Back Labor: a possible solution for a painful situation. Phillips C. ICA Review. July/ August 1997.

50-75% of pregnant women experience acute, severe, low back pain categorized as back labor. Dr. Phillips writes: “many first time mothers mistakenly think back labor is what childbirth is supposed to feel like. Let me assure you IT SHOULD NOT.” Dr. Phillips offers a biomechanical approach to back labor. She states, “Back labor is not a very common finding in patients who have received chiropractic and craniosacral therapy throughout pregnancy.”

Dr. Phillips offers approaches to help the baby turn, to prevent back labor. She also provides methods that a chiropractor, labor companion, or any birth assistant may use to help a women in labor relax the pelvis, reduce pelvic tension, and permit a back labor presentation to turn the baby to a more natural position for delivery.

Hypolumbarlordosis: a predisposing factor for preeclampsia. Kanayama N. Maradny EE, Kajiwara Y. et al. European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproduction Biology, 1997; 75:115-121.

About 1 in 200 pregnant women suffer from preeclampsia with hypertension and albuminaria (protein in urine) and which can lead to seizures, coma, and death. No one knows what causes it.

The authors studied pregnant women to see if there was a relationship between their spinal shape, particularly the lumbar (lower back) spinal shape and preeclampsia. It was revealed that women with decreased lumbar spine curves had more preeclampsia. Interestingly, they also found patients with reduced lumbar curves had decreased blood flow to the iliac artery compared with normal pregnant women.

Case history: premature labor. Cohen Eddy. D.C., F.I.C.A. Chiropractic Pediatrics Vol. 1 No. 4, May 1995.

A chiroparctor’s wife experienced premature labor at 32 weeks of gestation. She was diagnosed with severe endometriosis resulting in inflammation of the ovaries and was informed she would never be able to become pregnant; recommendation for treatment was laparoscopic surgery.

Patient refused treatment. She went to a hospital where the M.D.s wished to inject oxytocin to stop her contractions. The author writes:

“While at the hospital, the patient’s husband adjusted her. The intensity of the contractions decreased somewhat. However, the contractions maintained the same frequency of every fiver minutes.” She was then adjusted C-2, using the toggle recoil technique. Contractions reduced markedly and then discontinued completely. “Patient continued with weekly adjustments until the occurrence of labor and delivery at 40 weeks gestation, with no complications. The patient’s newborn infant was checked and adjusted 20 hours after the birth.”