Congratulations!  You are expecting. Your body is going through some really cool changes as you prepare to welcome a baby into the world.  This may be a “graceful” process … or it may include some “bumps” along the road.  Pain in the low back, pelvis, and hips is common during pregnancy and may vary from mild-and-manageable to a major disruption in your life.  Other discomforts, like rib pain, tend to present as your progress through later stages of pregnancy. No matter what, pregnancy is an eventful time for your body and birth is a physical process that places unique demands on our musculoskeletal system.

Musculoskeletal care can be provided safely through all stages of pregnancy.  It can be a great support tool to keep you feeling comfortable enough to get a good night’s sleep and stay physically active. If you can do those two things, then EVERYTHING is better. 🙂

When you book in for your initial visit with one of our chiropractors, you will be emailed an online intake questionnaire. This will ask you lots of questions so we can get to know you and your unique health situation.

Our initial exam is 60-minutes long. We will review the intake form you completed online and ask additional questions to gather more “data”.  The history portion of an exam is important and guides which procedures we will choose to do during the exam portion.

The purpose of a physical exam is to rule out anything that is better suited to be cared for elsewhere (i.e. medical issue) and to narrow our diagnosis (cause of your discomfort) to provide a more targeted treatment plan. 

A physical exam during pregnancy is likely to include:

• Checking your vitals (like blood pressure)
• Watching you move (gait analysis, movement screen such as the SFMA)
• Neurological exam tests (like reflexes, cranial nerves, and muscle testing)
• Orthopedic Tests (which help narrow a physical diagnosis)
• Spinal, pelvic, and extremity assessment (depending on your complaint)

Based on the information gathering during the history portion and the physical exam, we should be able to give you an explanation as to what is causing your discomfort and what treatment options are available to help you achieve your goals.

If manual therapy is included as part of that treatment plan, it will likely be provided during the initial visit.

Treatment options that may be included in your treatment plan are:

• Soft tissue therapies
• Joint manipulations/adjustments
• Exercise rehab
• Kinesiology taping
• Recommendations around belts and braces
• Ergonomic, lifestyle, or stress modifications

All treatment options will be discussed prior to them being provided. There will be no surprises and you are always in charge of what happens to your body.

During your first visit (or first couple visits), we will discuss your goals and what is important to you. Then we will create a plan with you to help you reach those goals.  This plan usually includes both active care (stuff YOU do, like exercise) and passive care (stuff WE do for you, like manual therapy).  Each person and each pregnancy is unique, so there are no cookie-cutter approaches.  Your care will be catered to you, during your initial exam and every visit thereafter.