Feeling empowered to choose care providers that understand your vision for your pregnancy is important! At Dorsa Chiropractic in Denver, we take pride in offering holistic, patient-focused prenatal chiropractic care. You may be curious about prenatal chiropractic care after hearing other expectant mothers rave about its benefits. Chiropractic care has been shown to help with everything from morning sickness to injury prevention during pregnancy. Many women seek relief for ligament pain, sciatic nerve pain, and back pain using chiropractic adjustments as pregnancy progresses. There’s even evidence that chiropractic care can help to shorten labor and delivery times. Ultimately, many expectant mothers like the idea of using a holistic treatment option that allows them to keep their bodies in balance during nine months of change.

While you’ve decided that you want to try prenatal chiropractic care, you may have some questions about how to find the best prenatal chiropractor in Denver, Colorado. The biggest priority is finding a practice that makes you feel comfortable! Take a look at tips for what to look for when searching for a prenatal chiropractor.

1. A Willingness to Be a Part of Your Total Prenatal Plan for Wellness

Your chiropractor should never “be at odds” with your existing plan for pregnancy and delivery. While prenatal chiropractic care is a holistic, natural option for wellness, it’s not intended to be a replacement for your existing prenatal care. Look for a chiropractic office that uses science-backed, collaborative treatment options to help you enjoy your best pregnancy!

2. An Understanding of How Pregnancy Impacts the Body

Not all chiropractors specialize in prenatal chiropractic care! It’s important to work with an office that specializes in prenatal chiropractic care instead of simply offering chiropractic services to pregnant women. The changes that take place throughout the muscles, joints, and ligaments during all three trimesters of pregnancy require specialized attention to help promote blood flow, decrease compression and maintain the proper amount of flexibility for avoiding injuries.

3. An Attitude of Understanding and Openness

Communication is everything when you’re working with a chiropractor during pregnancy! It’s important to work with an open, communicative chiropractor willing to listen to all of your questions and concerns. A good chiropractor will put your mind at ease by explaining different treatments and techniques before applying them! This is important for creating a sense of trust.

4. Familiarity With the Webster Technique

The Webster technique is a manual adjustment that has been proven to reduce the likelihood of breech birth. In fact, many expectant mothers come to chiropractic care for the first time after receiving advice from friends and family when trying to “turn the baby” around in anticipation of delivery. In one survey of doctors, the Webster technique showed a success rate of 82 percent. There’s also evidence to suggest that it may be beneficial to perform the Webster technique during the later portion of the third trimester because this is the point where the likelihood of spontaneous conversion out of the breech position becomes low. Ultimately, the evidence suggests that using chiropractic care to help the baby get into the correct position for birth can potentially help pregnant women to avoid birthing complications that can result in C-sections.

5. An Understanding of Sports Chiropractic Care

This point is often overlooked by expectant mothers seeking prenatal chiropractic care. The reality is that being pregnant can be a bit like training for a sport. This is especially true in cases where expectant mothers wish to stay active with their running, working out, or participating in certain sports during pregnancy. It’s important to promote flexibility and a good range of motion throughout pregnancy to avoid pain, tension, and injuries. A chiropractor specializing in sports chiropractic care is able to provide help with maintaining posture, balance, and movement to help you avoid injury. Something that catches many pregnant women by surprise is the fact that a hormone called relaxin that is released during pregnancy in anticipation of labor actually causes joints and muscles to relax. This can increase your chances of being injured when performing activities you’ve performed thousands of times before. Learning how to move to account for the “looseness” of joints and muscles can help you to avoid accidentally straining a part of your body.

6. The Ability to Help You Maintain Strength, Flexibility, and Wellness After Pregnancy

Prenatal chiropractic care doesn’t have to end when the pregnancy ends! A complete wellness plan for pregnancy also factors in plans to maintain your strength and flexibility following delivery. Keeping up with chiropractic visits after having your baby can help you to re-establish a strong core. You can also focus on how to maintain the right posture when doing things like carrying your baby, pushing a stroller, and lifting your baby in and out of car seats. All of these common motions are actually big risk factors for injuries among new mothers! More and more women are discovering that chiropractic care is truly a valuable tool for postpartum healing.

7. Access to Cutting-Edge Techniques and Equipment

As an expectant mother, you’re in the mode of always looking for “the best” when it comes to your baby. Not all chiropractic offices keep up with the times. It’s so important to work with an office that is current as far as the latest techniques and tools for creating balance in the body using non-invasive and safe measures. This is something that we take great pride in here at Dorsa Chiropractic in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Christopher Dorsa has certifications covering more than a dozen highly specialized techniques. He also has a strong background in helping athletes to maintain peak performance with an emphasis on injury recovery through the use of sports chiropractic. Pro Performance proudly partners with CrossFit Eminence and NeuAbility to create an alternative-medicine network that encompasses massage, acupuncture, exercise specialists, and more. Our office offers everything needed to transition from a fit, balanced and pain-free pregnancy to a healthy, active life as a new mom!

The Big Question on Your Mind: Is Chiropractic Care Safe During Pregnancy?

Yes! Chiropractic care is considered a safe, effective method of care during pregnancy! While you should always ask your primary doctor about the safety of using chiropractic care for your particular situation, the consensus among the medical community is that chiropractic care is considered perfectly safe for women who don’t have specific underlying health issues or pregnancy complications. It’s also important to know that there’s no wrong time to begin prenatal chiropractic care. Many women choose to start their appointments during the first trimester because they want to establish healthy alignment to try to minimize first-trimester symptoms like nausea, tiredness, and headaches by as much as possible. Other women don’t make the first appointment until they get the news that the baby is in the breech position in the weeks leading up to the due date. Ideally, starting as early as possible is recommended because this allows us to help you maintain flexibility, range of motion, and comfort as changes occur within your body. Of course, many of the patients we see for prenatal chiropractic care here at Dorsa Chiropractic were already our patients before they became pregnant!

Are you interested in learning more about how prenatal chiropractic care fits into your plan for enjoying a vibrant pregnancy? Our office in Denver helps countless expectant mothers enjoy some “me time” that leaves them feeling energized. Book your consultation with Dr. Dorsa today!