Pregnancy
is a normal, natural condition, but many women often find themselves suffering
from various symptoms, sickness, aches and pains, all of which they are told are
'just part of what to expect". This is not always the case, and many pains
and common symptoms in pregnancy can be alleviated or eased by making sure the
spine, pelvis, muscles and soft tissues are elastic, supple, and mobile - giving
the body more space and room to readjust weight bearing and posture, hence keeping
symptoms at bay. Even some problems related to hormone levels such as relaxation
of the gut (and reflux) and swelling in the hands and feet (from circulatory changes)
may be temporarily eased by improving drainage, and easing the muscles and structures
close to the stomach area, for example. Your osteopath can even give you a general
examination, to see if you might be storing up mechanical problems for later in
the pregnancy or birth, and can advise on exercises or posture, or maybe give
preventative treatment of desired. Note: there is little research evidence for osteopathy as yet, but the profession is committed to providing a strong evidence base for its practice. Prevention
is better than cure Osteopathy
is extremely useful is helping your body to adjust to the changing demands on
your posture and body caused by your pregnancy, and can often keep problems from
developing, or reduce their impact once present. (note: insert the reference number
2, here). Even in very painful conditions such as symphysis pubis dysfunction
or acute low back pain, there is usually something the osteopath can safely and
gently do to ease things.  Pubic
pain and pelvic floor problems.
Here osteopaths can help to reduce weight
bearing and strain onto the front of your pubic bone, can balance out tensions
in the pelvis, hips and low back, and may also look at your feet and how you are
walking, to make your general movements more comfortable. For the pelvic floor,
exercises can be reviewed and help given with ensuring you are doing the right
action, as well as local massaging type treatment which will help keep the pelvic
floor supple, elastic and more fit in readiness for the birth. Previous episiotomy
scars can be treated in this way also, which helps the pelvic floor function better
for the second (or subsequent) birth.
Indigestion
and breathlessness.
For these hormonally related problems of later pregnancy,
osteopaths may be able to help by improving the movement and elasticity through
your rib cage and diaphragm muscle (through which your gut / stomach has to pass).
As your baby gets bigger there is less and less space under the rib cage, and
the diaphragm muscle can be quite tight. Keeping these are as freer gives more
space for your ribs to 'move out of the way' and thus allows more space for the
stomach as well. This often calms down some of your indigestion symptoms, and
eases breathing. Lower
back pain.
This is obviously one of the most common complaints in pregnancy,
and one shouldn't have to 'put up with it'. It is usually caused by the body not
being able to accommodate the changing pressures and posture of the pregnancy.
(*note: insert the reference number 1, here). So, even people who have never had
back pain before becoming pregnant may start to suffer at any point, depending
on how their back is adapting to the changes. If there are some symptoms, improving
the elasticity throughout the whole spine, hips and pelvis usually allows the
pressures and tensions to even out throughout your body, thereby reducing the
strain at any one joint or set of soft tissues. This can mean much less pain and
suffering. People can be treated throughout their pregnancy, although osteopaths
may not always treat at weeks 12 or weeks 16. These two weeks (not those in between
or either side) can often be when you might miscarry if you are going to. There
is no evidence of osteopathic abortion, but you might feel more comfortable steering
away from these 2 particular weeks. Your osteopath will advise you if you have
queries. Sciatica
(leg pain).
This is another reasonably common complaint in pregnancy.
It often comes along in the last trimester when the baby's head begins to press
lower down into the top of the pelvis, where the sciatic nerves are found (before
they travel down the back of your legs to the feet). Easing movement and the mechanics
of the pelvis and low back often enables the baby to settle into a slightly different
position, and this often reduces pressure on the sciatic nerves, making things
more comfortable. If the sciatica is due to a herniated disc (a "slipped
disc"), treatment can also help to alleviate the pressure. Neck,
shoulder, middle back pain.
As the mechanics of the lower spine and pelvis
change, so do the positions and movements in the rest of the spine. The lumbar
region of often curves more forwards, as your pelvis tilts. To stop you toppling
forwards, your mid back has to swing back (and increase its backwards curve) and
finally your neck and head must lean slightly forwards again, so that your eyes
and ears remain level, and that your head is always above your pelvis and feet
when you are standing. If your mid back and neck don't easily adapt to these changing
positions, then aches and pains can result, and can also upset the shoulder girdle,
and the nerves and blood vessels into your arms. Tingling
in the hands and feet.
The above mentioned changes in posture and movement
in the upper back and neck can impact, as stated, the nerves and blood vessels
that travel into the hands. Pressures and poor movement into the back and pelvis
can also affect the circulation and nerves into the legs and feet. So, tingling
and swelling into the hands and feet, although they are also caused by hormone
changes making your tissues swell, may be eased in some cases through osteopathic
treatment to your spine and body to improve fluid drainage and keep pressure off
nerves.
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