Chiropractic Treatment Reduces Hip Pain During Pregnancy!

Chiropractic Treatment Reduces Hip Pain During Pregnancy!

There’s a baby on the way! During your pregnancy, body parts change, shift, stretch, and expand. Hormones are in a frenzy like a team of event planners trying their best to get every detail perfect in time for the big event because it is, indeed, a big, wonderful event coming your way. 

Hip pain in pregnancy is not unusual. Those body changes often cause lower back and hip pain. Pregnancy stresses the musculoskeletal system, which is a chiropractor’s specialty. It may not occur to some pregnant women to turn to chiropractic care to ease their pain, but we are ready and able to do just that.

Can pregnancy cause hip pain? It can. Let’s take a look at that pain and how chiropractic treatments can provide significant relief. The more your pain is managed, the more you can focus on the new little person making a debut in the next few months.

 

Hip Pain During Pregnancy

Changes in Your Body

Your body goes through tremendous changes throughout your pregnancy to accommodate a growing baby and prepare you for delivery. Hormones flow, dietary needs increase, your center of gravity shifts, muscles and tissues stretch and swell, and internal organs are crowded out of the way of an enlarging uterus. 

It is not unusual to gain between 20 and 40 pounds during pregnancy. The added weight plus a growing belly can pressure your lower back, increase the spinal curvature, and throw your posture off-balance. In addition, you may experience inflammation and edema as your blood volume increases by as much as 50 percent. 

In preparation for childbirth, your pelvic bones soften, and the surrounding muscles relax. Softened bones and relaxed muscles can be more easily pushed out of alignment or injured.  

There are multiple causes of hip pain during pregnancy—a cascade of effects. All of these changes can create varying levels of discomfort and pain as you advance through each trimester.

 

Relaxin

During pregnancy, about ten primary hormones rush through your body. One of these hormones, namely relaxin, originates in the ovaries and helps the growth of the placenta and implantation of the fertilized egg. During childbirth, the baby needs space to pass through the bony pelvis. Relaxin softens pelvic bones and ligaments and loosens cartilage and tendons to prepare for birth. 

The effects of relaxin certainly help when you’re in labor, and it’s time to push. But while you’re still pregnant, your hips become unstable. They’re loose and trying to create space. You can’t hold them in their proper place, and that stresses your body. In addition to any pain this may cause, you may also feel unsteady and unbalanced

 

Hip Pain

Hip pain while pregnant is relatively common. Of course, hip pain and pregnancy are more closely linked in late pregnancy as the growing baby adds pressure. 

About 20 percent of pregnant women have this experience. In one study, as many as 32 percent of participating pregnant women reported hip pain. Another study reported that 75 percent of participants experienced pelvic or lower back pain.

For each pregnant woman, hip pain can mean one of several things— “low back pain slightly to the side, the pain almost exactly on the side of the leg or hip, or pain on the front of the hip.” Some may also feel pain in the sacroiliac joint of the hip. In these cases, the pain travels from the hips and buttocks through the legs and the feet. You may also feel round ligament pain, which occurs in your hip as well as your abdomen and groin. Hip pain during pregnancy can sometimes make it hurt to walk.

Other contributing factors to hip pain include weight gain, poor posture, and osteoporosis. While some pain is normal, it should not be debilitating. 

 

Chiropractic Care

Certification

Many pregnant women may not realize that chiropractic treatment can complement their primary care and help alleviate months of musculoskeletal pain. Some chiropractors specialize in pregnancy care, receiving Certification by the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics (CACCP) from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). The certification program trains the chiropractor in evaluation and treatment techniques designed specifically for children and pregnant women. 

 

Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractors treat musculoskeletal conditions. We are in the ideal profession to relieve pregnancy-associated pain, and we do so without medication. Instead, we use safe, gentle adjustments plus exercise, stretches, and massage to realign the spine and balance the pelvis. As chiropractic practices are gentle, non-invasive, and drug-free, the risks are minimal

One adjustment technique specifically for pregnant women is the Webster Technique. This procedure aligns the pelvis and reduces tension in the soft tissues, ensuring ample space for the baby to grow and easing lower back and sciatic pain. 

Here at Bergen Chiropractic, we often work on ankles and hips when we treat pregnant women. Relaxin can create a leg-length discrepancy. Your hips rotate one way or the other, sometimes in opposite directions. We check for alignment, which can be anatomical, but it’s frequently from the pregnancy. We treat this with a muscle energy technique for getting hips back into a neutral position, starting from the 34th or 36th week, if necessary.  

 

Benefits

Pregnant women can enjoy a wide array of benefits from chiropractic treatments, including: 

  • Pain relief
  • Increased mobility
  • Increased quality time with the family
  • Improved sleep quality and duration
  • Proper fetal position
  • Decreased labor and delivery times
  • An overall increase in happiness about the pregnancy experience

Adding chiropractic services to your regular obstetric care can improve your pregnancy experience by affording you less pain and more comfort. Your body is better able to adapt to the constant changes and stress that come with pregnancy. Chiropractic care can also reduce dependency on medications. 

 

We’re Looking Forward to Helping You at Our Chiropractic Offices in NJ!

Pregnancy takes your body through a long list of changes, many of which can cause pain in your hips and lower back. Adding chiropractic treatment to your regular obstetric care can significantly decrease your discomfort and pain. It may even reduce your need for medications, which is excellent for your baby. 

Your pregnancy should be a wonderful time in your life. However, there will always be some discomfort throughout your journey. Having a chiropractor on your team can help manage and minimize that pain, so you can focus on welcoming your new child into the world. 

At the Bergen Chiropractic and Sports Rehabilitation Center, our chiropractic team, led by Dr. Gregory Doerr, follows the highest and most professional medical standards to provide superior chiropractic help. After all, our mission is to provide unparalleled patient care and services in a comfortable healing atmosphere. Contact us to learn more about our chiropractic services! Our chiropractic offices in Cliffside Park, NJ, and Hackensack, NJ, are ready to welcome you! 

Why We Use NormaTec at Bergen Chiropractic!

Why We Use NormaTec at Bergen Chiropractic!

It is easy to take your health for granted if you are an athlete or sportsman. A strenuous and demanding workout can leave you exhausted and drained. And whether you’re a professional athlete, training for an important marathon, or simply giving your body a complete workout, repetitive and demanding exercise routines will likely take a toll on your body. This can increase the risk of injuries and create the need for rehab, increasing recovery time.

There is no doubt that recovering from knee surgery to your pre-surgery performance level is your primary goal. Suppose you have started your research into the excellent benefits of compression therapy. In that case, you may know that there’s a new athletic recovery and rehabilitation system for athletes, such as runners, to shorten recovery time and quickly get back to training faster. You may have come across the NormaTec Recovery System. But what exactly is it? And does NormaTec really work?

 

What Is the NormaTec Recovery System?

The NormaTec Recovery System, which includes a NormaTec recovery machine, is a dynamic compression device designed and developed for recovery and rehabilitation. At Bergen Chiropractic, we use NormaTec’s patented technology to help athletes recover faster between training and after intense exercise. 

Keep in mind that NormaTec is also excellent for people at risk of circulation or swelling issues like lymphedema and deep vein thrombosis. We also use it to reduce soreness and lymphatic drainage.

 

Backed by Research 

If you have not used it before, you may wonder or have questions like, “does NormaTec recovery work?” NormaTec is the leader in rapid recovery, and its systems are great as they give a competitive edge to many elite athletes, trainers, and coaches around the world. 

Our system has a control unit and multiple attachments which go on your legs. Compressed air is then carefully used to massage your legs and mobilize fluid to speed recovery with the patented and effective NormaTec Pulse Massage Pattern. 

You should know that according to research, NormaTec compression, when adequately combined with Whole Body Cryotherapy, can lessen pain sensitivity, increase the range of motion, and clear metabolites passively. It also helps decrease muscle fatigue and soreness after exercise, improving endothelial function and blood flow in your legs.

You will initially experience a pre-inflate cycle when first using the NormaTec Recovery System. During this cycle, the connected attachments are carefully molded to your precise body shape. We will then compress your feet, calves, upper and lower quads. Like kneading and massage, note that each part of the attachment will compress in a gentle pulsing manner and release. This will repeat for each attachment part as the compression pattern gradually moves up to your limb.

 

What Are the NormaTec Recovery Boots?

The NormaTec recovery boots work as an efficient pneumatic vaso-compressive device. They use compressed air to massage your limbs and mobilize fluid. You can use the NormaTec recovery boots both before and after working out to speed recovery by systematically and steadily pushing out the old blood, inflammation, and lactic acid while providing you with a flushing massage. 

Did you know that NormaTec Recovery Boots are quite helpful in ensuring quick and dynamic recovery? This, in turn, provides a competitive edge to all athletes and trainers at all levels.

 

What Does NormaTec Recovery Do?

The NormaTec recovery system uses three fundamental techniques to maximize your recovery:

#1: Pulsing

Rather than using static compression (or squeezing) for transporting fluid out of the limbs, the Sequential Pulse Technology (SPT), a principle based on normal physiology, utilizes dynamic compression (pulsing). SPT synergistically combines three massage techniques to expedite your body’s normal recovery process. 

Note that the pulsing pattern is more effective than others as it mimics how the muscles pump in your arms and legs.  This greatly enhances the movement of fluid and metabolites out of your limbs after an intense or strenuous workout.

#2: Gradients

Did you know that lymphatic vessels and veins have one-way valves, which prevent fluid backflow? Similarly, NormaTec Pulse Technology uses hold pressure to keep fluids from being forced or pushed in the wrong direction. Due to this enhancement, the pulse delivers maximum pressure in all areas rather than tapering pressure off.

#3: Distal Release

You may know that extended static pressure can usually be detrimental to your body’s usual circulatory flow. This is why Sequential Pulse Technology releases the hold pressures when they are no longer needed to prevent backflow. 

If the hold pressure is released in each zone as early as possible, then each portion of your limb gains maximal resting time without a dramatic pause between several compression cycles.

 

Benefits of NormaTec Recovery System

  • Reduced soreness and pain
  • Faster recovery after exercise
  • A more comprehensive range of motion
  • Decreased swelling

 

We’re Looking Forward to Helping You at Our Chiropractic Offices in NJ!

At the Bergen Chiropractic and Sports Rehabilitation Center, our chiropractic team, led by Dr. Gregory Doerr, follows the highest and most professional medical standards to provide superior chiropractic help. After all, our mission is to provide unparalleled patient care and services in a comfortable healing atmosphere. Contact us to learn more about our chiropractic services! Our chiropractic offices in Cliffside Park, NJ, and Hackensack, NJ, are ready to welcome you!