We treat pregnant women
Pregnancy is an amazing time of rapid changes that occur within a women’s body as the baby grows. Due to the structural and hormonal changes that occur, the ligaments soften, the curvature of the spine changes, the weight of the baby moves the centre of gravity forward, and the normal mechanics within the body are disrupted. Osteopathic care focuses on ensuring the body is mobile to adopt the changes necessary to cope with the demands placed on the body. Osteopathic treatment during pregnancy can help prevent problems from arising or alleviate problems already present or from pre-exisitng injuries.
Osteopaths treat pain and dysfunction in the context of the rest of the body. This means that your Osteopath will integrate your treatment and consider the effect of treatment on the musculo-skeletal, nervous and circulatory systems. Osteopaths use a number of treatment modalities during pregnancy including soft tissue massage, muscle stretching, gentle joint manipulation, positional release techniques, cranial sacral therapy and exercise prescription. Treatment techniques are extremely gentle and are carefully selected for each patient. Osteopathic treatments are excellent in preparing the body for pre-conception, to help lay the foundations for a more comfortable and enjoyable pregnancy by resolving pre-existing injuries.
During pregnancy, Osteopathic care can help the body adapt to the postural demands of the growing body. This is achieved by decreasing tension throughout the body and balancing the pelvis, allowing the nervous and endocrine (hormonal) systems to function at their best. By doing so, this encourages the body to be in the best possible positon of alignment before giving birth.
Osteopathic post-natal care can also help the woman recover from birth. Treatment is aimed at gentle easing sore and tired muscles and rebalancing the spine and pelvis. Osteopathy can help relieve neck, shoulder, wrist and back and hip pain from feeding the baby, and lifting and generally caring for the baby. Many new mothers benefit from osteopathic treatment after birth in order to correct any possible imbalances or problems that may have resulted from the labour, including natural or caesarian.
We have a specially developed pregnancy pillow that lies on top of the treatment table, it has an adjustable padded hole in the centre for the expanding abdomen and holes for the breasts, therefore allowing the mother to lie comfortably on her stomach and allows her back to be worked on easily.
What conditions in pregnancy our Osteopaths may be of assistance with:
- Pubic Pain and Pelvic Floor problems
- Indigestion and breathlessness in pregnancy
- Back and neck pain (pre and post-natal)
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Conception assistance in unexplained infertility
- Circulatory problems including swelling in the arms and legs
- Headaches
- Sciatic pain
- Digestive issues i.e. indigestion/reflux, constipation, etc
- Morning sickness
- Fluid retention
Other women's health problems we can help with include:
If you have any further questions or would like to enquire about making an appointment with one of our Osteopaths please contact us on 9533 5536.