How does a woman’s body change during pregnancy?
Progressive adaptations take place throughout pregnancy to accommodate the growing fetus. Your general posture changes, your ligaments soften, and your spine’s curvature changes. Your center of gravity gradually shifts forwards as the baby grows. This modifies the body’s mechanical stress and increases the lower back arch. All of these changes increase the pressure on the spinal joints, muscles, and ligaments.
Osteopathic treatment helps the body adapt to these changes, particularly in the middle to late stages of pregnancy. By having a favorable impact on the circulatory, neurological, and lymphatic systems during pregnancy, an osteopath will try to keep the body in balance. An osteopath uses non-invasive, gentle methods of treatment.
The Advantages of osteopathy during pregnancy
Some of the symptoms of pregnancy that may be treated with osteopathic care while pregnant include:
- Muscular tension and aches from the added pressure on the spine, including back pain, neck pain, and sciatica
- Nausea and heartburn
- Groin, lower abdominal, or pubic symphysis pain from increased pelvic pressure
- Rib and midback pain that causes shortness and difficulty breathing deeply
- Headaches
- History of back pain that could impair pregnancy or delivery
- Circulatory issues, such as swelling in the legs and varicose veins as a result of increased pressure on the abdomen
A complete case history will be collected at the consultation, including present symptoms, prior medical history, and obstetric history. Each patient’s course of treatment is unique, although it may involve methods like various forms of soft tissue massage, mobilisations, and cranial osteopathy. This will help you loosen up, stretch out your muscles, relieve pain, and move your joints.
If your symptoms improve, you can be given maintenance treatment to take care of particular parts of your spine and body that will change over the next few months. Osteopathy can reduce tension and pain, making pregnancy easier and more natural.
Your osteopath will:
- Offer advice on breathing exercises, stretching routines, and physical activity you can undertake to keep yourself healthy and comfortable during your pregnancy.
- Assist in preparing for childbirth by increasing pelvic and abdominal flexibility.
- Assist with any pain experienced throughout pregnancy.
- Assist the mother in her postpartum recovery.