Visiting a chiropractor while pregnant is becoming more and more common as many OB/GYNs become more open to the concept. Today, doctors are now referring their patients for adjustments to treat pregnancy related back pain.

During pregnancy, our body secretes hormones that help relax the body. Without these hormones, our pelvis would not be able to expand wide enough to allow the birth of the baby. When you add the increase in weight, shift in center of gravity and the change in biomechanics (due to the disproportionate amount of weight that is being distributed to the front), it is no wonder that pregnant women are prone to back pain. Most often, during pregnancy, low back pain is a result of vertebral dislocations and muscle spasm. A partial vertebral dislocation is the misalignment of a bone in your spine. Partial dislocations cause muscle spasm and stress on the spine and nerves. The Chiropractic adjustment is a specific amount of force applied to the misaligned joint in order to fix its position and function.

Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons that pregnant women seek chiropractic care. The degree of pain ranges from barely noticeable to excruciating, with jolting or shooting pain into the legs and buttocks. Pain in the mid-back becomes more frequent as the chest become denser from lactation. Many women also seek the help of chiropractic care for headaches and migraines. Most headaches are caused or aggravated by partial dislocations in the cervical spine or neck. Fluxes of hormones can also contribute to headache occurrence. Women, who suffer migraines and were taking medication before becoming pregnant, often look to chiropractors for relief, since they can no longer take the medication. Many patients actually find that the chiropractic adjustments are more effective than the medications.

Aside from providing ‘symptom relief’, receiving chiropractic care during pregnancy has some other benefits for yourself, your baby and upcoming labor. The uterus is supported by ligaments that are attached to the pelvis. If the bones in your pelvis are partially dislocated, it can put tension on those ligaments. This can cause a decrease in space in the uterus, as well as, in the pelvis ring. It is very important to ensure that the pelvis is aligned properly for it to allow optimal opening during labor. Women who have undergone chiropractic adjustments while being pregnant report that their labors are easier and less stressful on their bodies.

Many ‘side effects’ of pregnancy can be reduced with just a few chiropractic adjustments . . . lower back pain, leg cramps, mid-back pain, neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel symptoms, and even nausea. If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, do not ‘grin and bear it’. Find a renown chiropractor in your area, who is trained in caring for pregnant women, and set up an appointment as soon as possible!

Spring is a popular time for sports. The winter is over and many people are now getting back outdoors to get ready to participate in sports for the upcoming spring. This change also means that there is a chance for many injuries to athletes occur because of a number of reasons. Some of those reasons include the drastic change of climate and weather conditions for some sports.

Athletes have been accustomed to training and participating indoors when it’s cold but are now exposed to colder weather and other conditions, all of which can play a role in increasing sports injuries. People also tend to become a lot more active in the spring due to the weather so just starting to engage in intense physical activity again after a period of inactivity can increase the risk of injury alone.

Sports most commonly played during the spring include basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, and tennis, to name a few. These sports all require an intense level of physical activity which can cause a lot of stress on muscles, joints, and ligaments that have been dormant for months in the case of some people.

Most Common Types of Injuries Sustained And How To Prevent Them

The most common injuries that occur to athletes during this time of year are muscular injuries, and injuries to ligaments and joints. The most effective way to prevent injuries from occurring is to make sure that you prepare yourself for the demands of the upcoming season.

These injury risks can be prevented by using a prevention strategy that entails a physical check up, an effective warm up routine for the necessary areas of the body. Your muscles, joints, and ligaments will always be stiff before you start performing any physical activity so you need to make sure you warm up and stretch properly.

Start your warm up routine with exercises that gradually increase in intensity that are followed with stretching. Many common injuries in spring sports are to the muscles, ligaments, and joints. The most effective prevention strategy for these kinds of injuries is warming up and stretching rather than jumping straight into any physical activity.

Some of the most common ligament and joint injuries involve the knees, elbows, and ankles. These are particularly common in sports like baseball, basketball, tennis, and volleyball to name a few. Again, just like for muscular injuries, you can minimize the injury risk to these areas by doing appropriate warm ups and stretching.

You need to warm up as per normal but also include exercises that make sure the knees, elbows, and ankles are ready for physical activity. You can help prevent knee injuries simply by bending the knees up and down, left and right, and even circular motions. The same kind of stretching applies for both the elbows and ankles as well.

Muscular, joint, and ligament injuries are the most common for spring sports. The most effective way to reduce injury risks to these areas is by ensuring you have an effective prevention strategy involving warming up and stretching of the areas most commonly affected.