Lower back, pelvic, buttock and leg pain (frequently referred to as ‘sciatica’) are just some of the common complaints seen during pregnancy.
Osteopath work towards allowing the women’s body to cope with the increasing demands of pregnancy. This is by maintaining biomechanical balance and minimising the stress on structures as the uterus enlarges and the baby develops.
Osteopathic treatment techniques throughout the different stages of pregnancy are designed not to place stress on the tissues. This allows the baby space to grow comfortably and also reduce pressure on structures.
Osteopathy and Pregnancy
PRE-CONCEPTION
Ensure your body is moving as well as possible for a more comfortable and enjoyable pregnancy.
It is also a great time to resolve and/or manage any pre-existing injuries before the increased stress of pregnancy is placed on your body.
PREGNANCY (1st-3rd trimester)
To help the body adapt to the changes and the postural demands of the growing baby as well as many other areas that starts to change even within the first trimester.
POST-NATAL (4th trimester)
To help the woman recover from the birth whether delivery was via vaginal or caesarean. Treatment is aimed at gently easing sore and tired muscles and regaining pelvic mobility and strength.
Osteopathy can also help relieve back pain from breast feeding and lifting your newborn baby. Osteopath’s also help with breast feeding issues such as pain, engorgement, mastitis and lactation issues. In this area there is also a correlation with bub and mechanical changes on your baby during pregnancy and delivery that may need to be looked into further if you are experiencing trouble with breastfeeding or latching. Check out more on paediatric osteopathy.
Research completed on osteopathy and pregnancy
There has been research published that shows that back pain was reduced and deterioration of back-specific function was statistically significantly less in the usual obstetric care and osteopathic manual therapy groups, compared with two non-osteopathic therapy groups.
Another study revealed that the use of osteopathic therapy in pregnant patients significantly decreased the probability of meconium- stained amniotic fluid (signs of stress on the baby), use of forceps during delivery, and likelihood of pre-term delivery.
Common Conditions during pregnancy:
Pregnancy related lower back pain
Pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain
Reflux/ GORD
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Fluid retention
Headaches
Rib pain/ upper back pain
Are you pregnant and want more support for your body at any stage of your pregnancy? Call (0492 983 811) or book online to feel at ease during this exciting time.
Research
– Licciardone JC, Buchanan S, Hensel KL, King HH, Fuld KG, Stoll ST. Osteopathic manipulative treatment of back pain and related symptoms during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010;202(1):43.
– King HH, Tettambel MA, Lockwood MD, Johnson KH, Arsenault DA, Quist R. Osteopathic manipulative treatment in prenatal care: a retrospective case control design study. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2003;103(12):577-582.
