“Research is revealing that chiropractic care can play a crucial role during pregnancy, labor and delivery” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study. “The research showing that chiropractic can result in these types of outcomes thereby avoiding dangerous interventional techniques such as C-sections is growing” added Dr. McCoy.
Despite widespread education and efforts to curb dangerous birthing interventions such as caesarean sections, their use remains high and concerns amongst health care advocates is growing. The concern centers around the use of high risk interventions for “convenience” of the doctor or mother without taking into consideration the long term effects of a traumatic birth on the child.
“It makes a lot of sense when you think about it” stated Dr. McCoy. “We see this shocking increase in the number of interventional procedures during birth when there are alternatives such as the use of chiropractic to allow the mother and child to have a normal birth. We need to take advantage of these advances.”
As pointed out in the paper, chiropractic can play a beneficial role during pregnancy and the birth process in cases where the mother is experiencing some type of distortion or twisting of her pelvis and related musculature that is interfering with the baby’s position or the delivery process.
“The goal is for the mother to be checked prior to the time of delivery so that these problems can be corrected beforehand” remarked Dr. McCoy adding “While this is only a single case study, coupled with numerous other case studies and some larger clinical studies that have shown similar outcomes, it’s time that health care providers started taking it seriously.”
Spinal and pelvic distortions, termed subluxations by chiropractors, result in structural and neurological interference to the spine and nerve system. It is this interference that may interfere with the birth process and chiropractors correct or reduce this interference.
The patient reported on in the study was a 26-year-old female presenting to the chiropractor while in her 27th week of pregnancy with her second child. The woman was having bilateral sacroiliac pain for several weeks before becoming a patient. It was determined by ultrasound that the baby was in a breech position. She had a previous natural birth with no complications five years prior. She was examined by the chiropractor and found to have lumbar and pelvic subluxations.
The mother was managed utilizing a very light-force chiropractic procedure called Webster Technique and At 39 weeks it was determined by ultrasound that the baby was in the normal vertex position. One day later she had a natural vaginal birth with no complications.
The authors of the study call for more research on the role of chiropractic care in pregnancy and delivery.
Contact Information:
Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracicpediatricresearch.net
404.247.2550
