Pregnancy Care

Dr. Cameron specializes in Chiropractic care for pregnant women and sees many pregnant mothers in his practice.  He has gone through extensive training for perinatal care and is certified in the Webster technique.  Webster Technique uses a specific evaluation and diversified adjustment of the sacrum/SI joint. A chiropractic adjustment is a gentle, specific force applied to the spine in order to reduce or correct a spinal subluxation. In this case the adjustment helps to reduce the effects that a sacral/SI joint subluxation will have on the pregnant mother. This extremely specific technique will help restore the body and its neuro-biomechanical function in the pelvis.  Simply put this will help pregnant mothers achieve pelvic balance, aid in an easier pregnancy and safer labor. So what is a chiropractic subluxation you might be wondering.  Well a chiropractic subluxation is defined by a bone that is not functioning or moving in a normal way. There are three basic functions of the spine, that is to move the body in a situation such as sprinting by spreading specific forces throughout the body, to get tight or stiff to help protect us when necessary, and then to help us be balanced and keep our proprioception in proper working order.

The Webster Technique addresses the three causes of dystocia. These causes are described in William Obstetrics as; powers - uterine contraction/maternal expulsive effort (how the adjustments positively affect the nervous system), the passenger - the fetus (the effects on the body via ligaments and neurological tension on the uterus), and the passage - the pelvis and lower reproductive tract (how the pelvis is aligned or subluxated).  Dystocia is simply defined as difficult labor. It is characterized by slow/abnormal progressing labor. Let's discuss the three types in detail and how a chiropractic adjustment can help reduce each of them.

The first cause of dystocia is abnormal function of the expulsive forces/uterine dysfunction. This can lead to improperly coordinated forces or weakness of uterine forces. Making it more difficult to efface and dilate the cervix. Voluntary muscles that are used during the second stage of labor can be inhibited or reduced as well.  The uterus is a muscle which needs proper nerve supply in order to contract and function optimally. If optimal function is not happening the uterus can fire incorrectly. So when a chiropractic adjustment is applied it helps to keep the sacrum and ilium in proper alignment. This results in reducing torsion and tightness of the pelvic muscles and ligaments which then allows for nerves to fire correctly.  It is very important to make sure there is no distortion, particularly in the sacrum, as the nerves that innervate the uterus come from S2-S4. This assures this area will have full power production possible.

The second reason for dystocia is how the fetus is presented, its position and its development.  This can create abnormal tension on muscles and ligaments which can then lead to pulling on the uterus disproportionately, making less room for the growing fetus to move around. When there is less room for the fetus to freely move this can create a lack of proper presentation. Once again, Webster technique can help reduce these distortions that are present allowing the body to restore normal function of the surrounding muscles and ligaments. This is seen as the sacrum rotates the utero-sacral ligament and opposing round ligament can get tighter resulting in tension of the uterus. This is why correction of the pelvis using the Webster technique is so important to help relax the muscles and ligaments so that proper presentation is achieved during birth.

The third reason for dystocia is abnormalities of the maternal bony pelvis via structural changes. This is affected as well by a misaligned sacrum. When this occurs the woman's pelvic size decreases leading to a smaller/distorted birth canal, making travel for the baby more difficult. Webster technique helps realign this area, resulting in proper size and motion of the pelvis. Proper passage is then present for the baby during delivery.

Most of the time when correction is made using this technique it results in less discomfort for the pregnant woman and more comfort throughout her entire pregnancy, a decrease in nervous system interference and typically an easier birthing process.  So, what specifically does Webster Technique effect within the anatomy, physiology and biomechanics you might ask?  We will begin with what intrauterine constraint is.  This is a result of abnormal forces and stresses being applied to the uterus.  The pelvic basin consists of the left and right innominate bones (hip bones) and the sacrum.  The uterus is held in place within the pelvic basin by two primary sets of ligaments, these ligaments are the broad ligaments and round ligaments.  These ligaments then connect the uterus to the abdominal wall and the sacrum.  Next, when there is a misalignment within the pelvis there can be significant pulling on these ligaments.  This pulling of unequal force contributes to distortion in the position of the uterus inside the pelvis.  When this type of force is present it can lead to intrauterine constraint. Now, we want to make it clear we do not “treat” intrauterine constraint.  We are just seeing what is structurally abnormal within the pelvis and applying an adjustment. So when the uterine twists due to the abnormal distortion it reduces the space for the growing fetus to move around.  This is extremely important because at 34 weeks pregnant there may be no space for the fetus to get into the head down position necessary for “normal” birth without complications.

At Rejuvenation Chiropractic, Dr. Cameron has seen firsthand positive clinical evidence that Webster Technique is a benefit to pregnant mothers.  That is why within the ICPA he has started to conduct a PBRN in the practice to show others the success he has had with our pregnant mothers.  PBRN stands for Practice-Based Research Network and the ICPA has published 10 of these showing the great results chiropractic has on its pregnant moms and pediatric population. The mission of the ICPA with this research is to help improve the overall health of children, pregnant mothers and to shine more light on chiropractic family care. We as chiropractic practitioners can show successful objective data seen on pregnant mothers, aiding in safe and easier labors.  This gives moms and practicing physicians the information needed to utilize chiropractic care during the course of labor and beyond. The ICPA PBRN model was started in 2009 to once again establish how safe and effective pediatric chiropractic is.