Chiropractor?

[messica]

I've never seen one and am completely skeptical (even leery?) to subject myself to whatever it is they will do.

That said, I'm also to the point of desperation. My OB suspects I have SPD because by the end of the day I end up pretty put up due to the pain in my pelvis (primarily pubic, tail bone and deep inner groin). Nothing seems to help, sitting or laying down resting too much hurts, but at the same time I seem to have a limited amount of movement throughout the day. Once I hit that movement limit I am TOAST and even walking kills me until I go to bed and restart overnight for the next day if that makes sense.

Doc thinks a chiropractor may help and referred me to see one who is well respected, knowledgeable in regards to chiropractic work during pregnancy and not extremist (yay! because this is going to be hard enough - do not want or need to hear about how it can cure past life traumas and the like lol)

I called and am not sure I was impressed they could see me first thing tomorrow morning - or if that makes me even more worried.....

Has anyone else here gone to one while pregnant? And if so what do they do?? Did it hurt? Did it help? Did it make things worse for anyone else? I do NOT want to end up immobile, or worse, ending up needing to go for the rest of my life just to function skeletally.


Any insight would be appreciated to either dispel or confirm my fears so I have an excuse to cancel!

 

[Spiffynoodles]

I've been adjusted by chiropractors in all of my pregnancies. I have hips that are misaligned, so I feel like I walk better after I get them adjusted. When you're pregnant, the chiropractor will have you lay on your side and then adjust your hips/pelvis area with a quick pop, but it's not painful, just a little scary at first because you don't know what to expect.

Chiropractic work can be very beneficial, but just look around to see who has the best reviews, because some are better than others.

 

[Nikko88]

I was skeptical about chiropractic treatment myself when I went for lower back pain over a year ago. Instead of the usual manual manipulation, my chiropractor uses a pressure device like a punch pin. This helps me avoid the muscle pain and tension I was getting with manual manipulation. After one particular adjustment, I could barely walk the next day.

Ask about how the manipulations will be done, especially if you are prone to muscle tension.

After 6 months of treatments, I noticed that I could sleep on my back comfortably and with my legs parallel. I could not do these prior and they were contributing to a sway back.

Since being pregnant, I've kept up my treatments every 4-6 weeks. The bench is adjustable for pregnancy to avoid pressure on the belly.

 

[misspriss]

I started seeing a chiropractor right past 20 weeks with DS. One day I got up from my desk chair and could hardly walk! Somehow one of my hips had gotten out of alightment and was pinching a nerve. I finally went to a chiropractor, and I walked out of my first adjustment pain free. I kept going throughout my pregnancy, and still go now (in fact, I have an appointment in an hour!). I even take DS every now and then. Definitely would recommend to anyone, especially during pregnancy!

Oh and my chiro had a special pillow using the regular table. The table dropped down in the middle where the stomach goes and instead of the table he put the pillow there, so he did adjustments face down like normal. When you are really large they may do it on the side, but I never had any problems going face down.

 

[moter98]

I just went a week and half ago due to debilatating pelvic pain, I think it's called pelvic girdle pain. Basisically what you have but the pain is literally in my behind! I couldn't even walk upright and daily life was painful. I went to a chiropractor and he knew what my problem was right away. A joint was "locked". He did one painless adjustment and by 3 days later I was back to almost normal. I feel fine now except I cannot sit on the floor at all because getting up triggers the pain for me. I will now go in for monthly "maintancne" adjustments till the birth. So glad someone else told me to go, no regrets here.

 

[Rhapsodi]

I think it really depends who you see. I hated my regular chiro. I felt like they didn't do anything. (I have known great chinos though). However I found a NUCCA chiropractor who only adjusts the atlas. (You don't even feel it!) I use to have chronic headaches and hip pain(everyday all day). I've been going to her for 2 years now and headaches are rare, hip pain only happens if I lose alignment which in 2 years has only happened a handful of times!

She is great I highly recommend NUCCA for anyone. I think chiropractic care should be a lifetime thing (after all you have your spine for your lifetime) I'm planning on baby to get seen immediately too. However NUCCA isn't about adjusting all the time. The goal is to hold adjustments for as long as possible. The average is 3-6 months. I currently see my chiro every 6 weeks just to ensure I'm still in alignment.

I have no doubt that chiropractic care helped us get pregnant (and stay pregnant). It's definitely worth a try.

 

[EMSwife1124]

If you're nervous about chiro.. You could always ask to see a physical therapist. I just finished therapy for the same sort of pain and I feel soooooo much better. They gave me home exercises too so I can keep my strength up throughout pregnancy. Just a thought - I was at a point of desperation too that I would have tried a chiro but I am glad I went the PT route first.

 

[messica]

I actually went yesterday and have to say I am fairly impressed right now. She spent about an hour going over history and what I've been experiencing before she asked me to lay on the scary tilting table lol. As she worked her way down she she asked if I down played how bad my headaches get, and then again about my constipation problem when she hit another. Hello. CHRONIC, but I have a pretty high pain tolerance and don't whine about it my h because it had become a part of life long ago. I was shocked she could guess such things.

Aside from that she said my left hip was tilted forward and causing an actual difference in the lengths of my legs. She flipped me over, cracked me good on each side by neatly climbing on top of each bent leg, and then used towels to gently pull my legs. I felt aaaaaall kinds of loosey goosey right afterward but she warned it may be short lived until I go a few times and get "stabilized." She said on a scale of 1-10,I was at about a 7, so there's work to be done. I got to spend some time on a water table massager thing before finishing up and will go back again on Friday morning to see how quickly I tighten back up.

Last night I did get a bit sore, but it wasn't the same kind of sore that I had been experiencing. I was able to easily climb the stairs after tucking my kids into bed and that alone make it worth it. Today I feel PHEONEMENAL. Usually by midday I'm already starting to feel it pretty good, but so far today I've had just a shadow of what I've been dealing with. I think I may just get through today with no agony! (knocking on wood but if I'm still doing this well I imagine I'll get way more out of my day than I have in a long time!)

It wasn't NEARLY as bad as I thought it would be and if it helps in the long run - let's just say I'll feel like an idiot for having waited so long if it's really this easy

 

[messica]

If you're nervous about chiro.. You could always ask to see a physical therapist. I just finished therapy for the same sort of pain and I feel soooooo much better. They gave me home exercises too so I can keep my strength up throughout pregnancy. Just a thought - I was at a point of desperation too that I would have tried a chiro but I am glad I went the PT route first.

I did do PT during my first two pregnancies and although it helped loads, I never stopped doing those movements (like how to get out of bed, up from a chair, out of the car) and the exercises they had me doing - they just stopped helping me

I have great posture, a really strong core (thanks to diligent pilates and yoga practice) and I'm very kind to my body. I don't think there's anything PT could have done that I wasn't already doing (could be wrong but at this point I do believe it was purely skeletal, probably due to me doing daycare with the lifting and constant hip carries, that needed to be corrected. without that hip adjustment specifically I'm skeptical things would have gotten better!)

 

[moter98]

So glad it has helped you. It's hard enough being pregnant without that type of pain on top of everything else too.

 

[ThinkPositiv]

Chiropractor gave me back my life. At 28 weeks I was in the worse pain of my life, honestly would rather give birth 20 times over ( and I had a drug free first birth!) than ever go through that. I was bed bound and the physio could no longer help( they hadn't helped at all anyways). I called and cancelled my apt 3 times before going and this is coming from someone who regularly saw a Chiro when I burst a disc in my back at work a few years ago ..... He changed my life then. I went and I will go in this pregnancy. After two treatments I could walk again instead of a wheelchair and was able to prepare for my new baby. At 38 weeks she told me I didn't have to see her again for a week at least.... And said if I went into labor my pelvis and everything was set up beautifully. I partly owe my amazing birth story to her.

Obviously you have to make the decision yourself but I would urge you to at least sit down with one - u can walk away if you decide to. I promised myself that and am lad I finally went to my apointment. I see a different Chiro for maintance as I suffer terribly from an injury as I said but will actually be going back to my one I saw while pregnant this pregnancy very shortly.