After giving birth, you’ll notice your body goes through quite a few problems. These could include postpartum depression and spinal pain.
While sometimes unavoidable, chiropractic care can assist with healing and even preventing these side effects. This is due to it ensuring your body’s musculoskeletal system is aligned. When this is functioning correctly, it can restore you back to health.
To learn more about these incredible benefits, keep reading. You’ll discover what they are and how a chiropractor can help you with them.
Can You Go to the Chiropractor After Childbirth?
A chiropractor can be useful to visit after giving birth. Chiropractic care can assist with reliving many postpartum aches and pain. With various adjustments, they can encourage your body to heal faster.
Besides this, they can calm down any complications you might be having, like postpartum back pain. They can also heal more serious issues like postpartum depression and swollen joints.
When Can I See a Chiropractor Postpartum?
You can stop by a chiropractor any time after giving birth. While you might want to give your body a few days to recover, it’s safe to visit whenever you desire.
However, for optimum results, you’ll want to visit within the first six weeks of giving birth.
How Soon Can I See a Chiropractor While Breastfeeding?
You can see a chiropractor as soon as you start breastfeeding. They can help see if there might be spinal misalignment which could be hindering your body from producing enough milk. If spinal discs are out of place, they can press on nerves which can prevent adequate milk production.
If there are problems, your chiropractor will address them. This can refresh your nervous system which is responsible for milk production. It will also make it easier for you to hold your baby without worrying about back pain.
How Soon Can I See a Chiropractor After a C-Section?
If you had a c-section, wait about 4-6 weeks before you visit a chiropractor. However, sometimes this might be longer depending on any complications you might be having.
6 Benefits of Postpartum Chiropractic Care
1) It Restores Your Center of Gravity
Your center of gravity is a point around the body that is believed to be where gravity mainly affects it. When this is in distress, it can put your body off balance.
When you’re pregnant, your center of gravity shifts forward. As it does so, it puts pressure on your spine which is being awkwardly moved out of place. The longer this strange curvature lasts, the more likely your discs will slip. This won’t only affect your posture but can be extremely painful.
Chiropractic care can assist with this by restoring your center of gravity. This is because it will shift your spine in its proper position. This simple motion will keep your musculoskeletal system aligned. This way, it functions normally and prevents unnecessary spinal stress.
2) It Alleviates Sore Joints
When you’re pregnant you put a lot of pressure on your joints. This extra weight can overwhelm them and cause them to wear down. Over time, the worn areas can press on nearby bones and nerves causing severe pain.
Chiropractic care works to stop this issue by releasing tight joints. It will also put them back in their proper position.
The treatment your chiropractor uses will depend on your needs and how severe the problem is. For most, they will gently massage the area. This will assist them with determining if there is swelling or if ligaments are out of place. Once this is done, they’ll have a better idea of how to adjust your joints.
3) It Could Help Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is a common occurrence in new moms. Many times, it’s due to fluctuating hormones. With the help of chiropractic care, these hormones can be regulated. Some studies have even suggested that regular chiropractic treatment before giving birth can significantly reduce your chances of developing it.
Besides adjustments, your chiropractor might also create a customized diet. Sometimes, your depression could be due to a nutrient deficiency. In addition to this, a lack of certain nutrients, like vitamin D, could make you feel sluggish. This could end up making your depression even worse.
Some items they might suggest include:
- Greek yogurt
- Avocados
- Strawberries
- Chia seeds
- Apples
- Bananas
- Pistachios
Besides changing up your diet, they might request you do a few other things. These include giving your body adequate time to rest and attempting a few simple stretches.
4) It Realigns Your Pelvis
The pelvic area goes through a lot during pregnancy and birth. Because of this, it could separate ligaments around your pelvis. This not only can cause pain but can make it difficult for you to walk and sit.
A chiropractor will feel around your hips and shift them in different directions. This will assist them with seeing where there might be limitations and how they need to be realigned. They’ll then adjust your pelvis with gentle techniques. This will ensure your hip joints are in place and that they aren’t pressing on surrounding nerves, muscles, and joints.
Besides visiting them postpartum, you could go to the chiropractor while pregnant. With consistent adjustments, it will ensure your pelvis stays in place. This won’t only lower back pain, but help the birth go faster and with less complications. This is because the adjustments will keep your pelvis open which will give your baby plenty of space to move around in.
5) It Can Treat Sciatica
Sciatica is a frequent problem for postpartum moms. When giving birth, extreme pressure could cause you to slip a disc. This can encourage it to press on surrounding nerves which can cause sciatica.
To fix this, your chiropractor will slide misaligned vertebrae back in place. This way, they don’t press against nerves, especially the sciatic one.
In most cases, you’ll find you have immediate relief. But, it’s important to stay consistent. This can prevent the sciatic nerve from being affected again.
6) It Offers Postpartum Chiropractic Massage
Another unique benefit of chiropractic care is that it has a special postpartum massage. This massage type is done within the first three months of you giving birth. The massage is meant to provide relief to your body.
Unlike other massage types, a postpartum massage will work around your changing body. For example, if your chest or stomach is sore, the massage can be done upright in a chair.
During the massage, the movements will encourage better blood circulation. This can help your body heal faster and even reduce swelling. Besides this, it will aid your spine. By pressing around it, it can relax tight muscles and encourage you to use proper posture again.
Chiropractic treatments offer a stunning amount of postpartum benefits. With them, you can quickly recover and get back to living your life without pain.
Can My Baby Use Chiropractic Care?
You might be surprised to learn that infants can visit the chiropractor for treatments. The techniques are gentler than the ones for adults and are very safe for babies. Most times, the adjustments are soothing massage motions that can relax them.
Chiropractic care can calm many infant problems. These include:
- Colic
- Ear infections
- Constipation
By adjusting their tiny body, it can boost their immune system. This can help them fight off common issues and encourage them to stay healthy.
Keep in mind that how well your child does during the appointment will depend on their personality. Some infants tend to be very happy during it. Others might be a little nervous and cry. Your chiropractor will work around this and try to find the most comfortable way to approach the situation.
How Do I Know If My Child Needs Chiropractic Care?
Besides the issues mentioned above, there are a few other times where a visit might be necessary. This includes:
- If the birth was longer than normal
- You had a c-section
- Forceps were used
While these might not seem like a problem, they could put strain on their delicate spine. This could end up hurting their spinal development. A chiropractor can check to ensure there aren’t lingering concerns.
References
https://spinewave.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/JCCP-Vol-14-Issue-3.pdf#page=19
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3430492/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647084/
