Pregnancy is a transformative time, both physically and emotionally. But with the pleasures of planning and anticipation can come the tribulations of pain, discomfort, nausea, fatigue and worry. Osteopathy in pregnancy is a safe and natural way to support your health. Gentle osteopathic techniques promote good function and help your body to adapt to the changes of your growing child. And beyond the birthing room, treatment can help you recover from the strain of childbirth and put you on the road to enjoying life as a new parent.
Changes during pregnancy
It’s normal for the body to change as a pregnancy develops. These changes go beyond bump growth, though. There are hormonal, physiological and biomechanical alterations that affect the whole body.
Shifts in the balance of hormones alter connective tissue structure, causing a softening. This affects the whole body, including the stomach and intestines, which is why so many women experience heartburn and digestive issues during their pregnancy.
Pressure from the expanding uterus aggravates stomach issues, and in the later stages, limits rib movement and lung capacity, leading to breathlessness.
Increasing weight shifts the centre of gravity, and the spine changes shape to cope. This can lead to stress on the joints of the back, neck and pelvis, causing pain.
Changes to the spine’s curvature can compress nerves, leading to sciatica, and stress the neck, resulting in headaches or migraines.
While we can largely adapt and compensate around these changes, problems can arise when we can’t compensate enough to match the changes imposed on the body.
That’s when we can start to see symptoms such as heartburn, pelvic girdle pain (PGP) or symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches and poor sleep.
Osteopaths can help your body adapt as things develop. It’s a natural, safe and effective route to manage symptoms and support you through your pregnancy.
Osteopathy in pregnancy: how can it help?
Osteopathic techniques can help alleviate many kinds of pregnancy-related issues.
Osteopathy is ideal to help the body adapt. This is because osteopaths look beyond the part that hurts to evaluate the body as a whole. Is poor function in one area overstressing another? Can a simple change distant to the pain bring relief?
Here are some of the ways osteopathy can help:
- Improving spinal function and joint mobility to help the whole spine adapt to weight and postural changes, easing back pain.
- Alleviating the pain of sciatica by addressing spinal mechanics, muscle tension and movement patterns.
- Reducing pelvic pain by addressing sacroiliac joint function and alignment, as well as addressing ligamentous pain and muscle tension.
- Improving digestive function by easing tension on the diaphragm (through which the oesophagus passes), facilitating the motion of the stomach and intestines, and improving spinal mobility at the areas associated with the digestive tract.
- Enhancing rib mechanics to ease breathlessness.
- Treating the neck to ease pain and headaches.
- Reducing swelling and improving joint mechanics in the arm, neck and upper back to reduce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Preparing the body for labour by ensuring good flexibility and alignment.
- Supporting your ability to exercise during pregnancy.
- Using massage techniques for ease and relaxation to promote good sleep.
As you can see, then, osteopaths have an array of ways to reduce stress, pain and tension, enhancing maternal wellness and promoting a healthy pregnancy.
Post-partum osteopathy
Of course, pregnancy isn’t the only hard work your body must undertake. There’s also the effort of returning to its pre-pregnant state after delivery.
And osteopathy can help here, too.
Birthing is not a new process, and bodies have been adapting to and recovering from it for the whole of human history.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t help it along. The aim of postnatal osteopathy is to make that recovery smooth and efficient, and to remove any blocks or strains that, if not resolved fully, could go on to cause future pain and problems.
For example, a pelvic strain incurred during a forceps or ventouse delivery may well linger after the event, resulting in back pain. But gentle treatment to mobilise and realign the pelvic joints can nip this issue in the bud.
An osteopath can also address particular postnatal issues. Diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles) is common during and after pregnancy. But evidence shows that a programme of specific and progressive strengthening can both reduce the risk and aid recovery. Implementing strength work alongside manual therapy to improve spinal and pelvic function can produce excellent outcomes, both preventatively and as treatment.
Similarly, gentle osteopathic techniques can aid healing and recovery from episiotomy and Caesarean section by facilitating healthy scar formation and ensuring the weakened areas are well-supported by good function in the surrounding tissues.
In addition, your osteopath can offer advice on managing daily tasks, sleeping and feeding positions and how to lift safely – especially for those with small children already in the house!
Is osteopathy safe during and after pregnancy?
Yes. Our highly experienced osteopaths know what to look out for and how to treat during these stages.
Techniques are adapted to ensure safety and comfort. The osteopath will ensure you are positioned in a way that suits you and your stage of pregnancy.
During pregnancy, it’s advisable to avoid treatment at certain stages. Check with your osteopath for advice.
After delivery, it’s safe to come for treatment as soon as you wish, although the osteopath may avoid certain approaches until you’ve had your six-week check.
Osteopathy in pregnancy – The College Practice approach
Here at The College Practice, our osteopath Suzanne has a wealth of knowledge and experience helping expectant mothers prepare for birth. Beyond providing hands-on treatment for pain, she employs techniques from, and can advise on, a range of natural methods that can empower you through pregnancy, labour and birth.
Suzanne’s skills include hypnobirthing, which combines deep breathing, visualisation and relaxation techniques to help control pain during labour. The use of guided imagery and positive affirmation can help reduce the need for pain medication, benefitting both mother and child. Practising these techniques during pregnancy brings confidence and prepares the mind for childbirth.
She can teach you how to use a birthing ball during pregnancy and labour, and postnatally for gentle exercise, maintaining mobility, and finding comfort. These large gym balls allow you to gently mobilise, and to explore positions that reduce pressure on your back, pelvis and abdomen, so you can choose what’s best for you.
Suzanne also has training in active birth yoga. She works with her pregnant patients during treatment sessions, using movement to facilitate softening, lengthening and release through each stage of the pregnancy. Each gentle stretch and guided movement improves flexibility and induces relaxation.
Alongside these skills, Suzanne is a qualified teacher of clinical reformer and mat-work Pilates. This excellent form of exercise has been shown to limit pregnancy weight gain, and reduce both delivery times and the need for Caesarean section. Additionally, Suzanne works with new mothers to help them regain strength and confidence following childbirth.
Other therapies for expectant mums
And beyond osteopathy, at TCP we have other expertise on hand to support people both before and after birth.
Pregnancy massage is a safe, relaxing, drug-free way to alleviate the common discomforts associated with pregnancy. The evidence shows it can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, ease pain and even reduce the risk of preterm birth. Our expert practitioner, Emanuel, has extensive training and experience that includes pregnancy massage, so you can rest assured you’re in safe hands.
Alternatively, try Gyrotonic with Nicki Charalambous – a guided movement system that lengthens and strengthens. Nicki has completed specialist training in using the Gyrotonic system with expectant mothers. She can work with you to prepare your body for labour and birth, and to restore full strength and function in the postnatal period. You can read about Nicki’s Gyrotonic qualifications here.
Find out more
Osteopathy has many advantages for health and wellbeing, both during and after pregnancy. Do get in touch to find out more about how we can help you.
