• Magazine
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Change Mailing Address
    • Surveys
    • Guidelines for Authors
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Editorial Deadlines
  • Practice
    • Business Tips
    • Chiropractic Schools
    • Clinical & Technique
    • eBooks
    • eCourses
    • Infographics
    • Quizzes
    • Wellness & Nutrition
    • Personal Growth
    • Podcast
  • Resource Centers
  • Products & Services
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Products Directory
    • Submit a Product
    • Vendor Login
  • Datebook
    • Become an Events Poster
    • Post an Event
    • View Events
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
  • Advertise
    • Advertising Information
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
    • Upload Advertising

Your Online Chiropractic Community

Chiropractic Economics Your Online Chiropractic Community
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • News
  • Webinars
  • Chiropractic Research
  • Students
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Chiropractor table options and specialty equipment for pregnant patients

Tina Beychok May 22, 2019

Prepare your office with chiropractor table options to provide care for expecting mothers. Extensive research has shown that chiropractic care during...

Prepare your office with chiropractor tables to provide care for expecting mothers

Pregnancy and the postpartum period is a very exciting and rewarding time, depending on the ease of pregnancy, for most women. Carrying, delivering and then nurturing a newborn infant can provide many opportunities for maternal and infant bonding. 

Even so, a woman’s body undergoes tremendous changes during pregnancy and immediately afterward that may well be not-so-exciting or rewarding. A number of changes happen to a woman’s body that can result in pain, difficulty sleeping and even depression. Extensive research has shown that chiropractic care during both pregnancy and the postpartum period can alleviate many of these issues. However, it is extremely important to treat these patients carefully, so as not to harm either the mother or the fetus. This is why it is important to have proper equipment, such as chiropractor table options and pillows, that are meant to accommodate both pregnant and postpartum women.

What are some of the unique needs of these women, and how can specialized equipment help you treat these women effectively and safely?

Pregnancy and postpartum issues

Pregnant women dramatically change their posture during the second trimester to accommodate for the expanding abdomen and the weight of the fetus. , As the fetus grows, the abdomen protrudes further forward, which makes the lumbar region of the back curve and the pelvis tilt. 

Such changes may lead to lower back, pelvic, knee and ankle pain. At the same time, the weight of the fetus may press against the sciatic nerve, causing pain down the back of the legs. Other issues may involve edema, or swelling in the feet and ankles, as well as the fetus not being in the proper position for delivery. 1,2 

In the postpartum period, women may have stretched or torn ligaments and tendons in the pelvic region, particularly if they underwent a difficult, prolonged delivery, or required either a cesarean or an episiotomy. 1,2 Their abdominal muscles may still be sore and overstretched as a result of not fully regaining their pre-pregnancy tone. These women may also have poor posture as a result of neck and shoulder pain related to breastfeeding or using infant carriers, as well as hip pain from carrying the baby on one hip. Finally, one of the biggest issues women face is postpartum depression. , 

Specialized tables and equipment 

You would not have a patient lie in the prone position on a standard chiropractic treatment table once they have gotten to the second trimester of pregnancy, as a prone position can even be difficult for a postpartum woman if she has recently delivered — particularly if she underwent either a cesarean or an episiotomy. If this is the case, you still have several options to treat these patients.

The easiest solution is to use a chiropractic chair. This will allow you to treat the back, hips, shoulders and neck, without placing any pressure on the abdominal area. The one drawback is that it can be difficult to perform adjustments along the buttocks, legs, knees or feet with a patient in a chair. Obviously, using a table will allow you to treat the lower extremities. A drop table is an excellent choice, as simply dropping the middle section is all that is required to accommodate the needs of your pregnant and postpartum patients. If you do not have a drop chiropractor table, there are special cushions with cut-outs or depressions that can be placed over the table itself to provide proper support for the breasts and abdomen and provide relief.

Shawn Kelley, a Minnesota native, was experiencing a difficult pregnancy when she started having contractions at 22 weeks after experiencing severe back pain and was confined to bed rest and drugs to alleviate the discomfort. She decided to see her local chiropractor, who, with a few gentle sessions of manipulation, had her up and about again.

“It’s amazing,” Kelley told WebMD. “I’ll go in, she does some adjustments, and within an hour or two, everything opens up. The baby moves up, I don’t feel as much pressure, and the back pain goes away.”

As exciting as pregnancy and the postpartum period can be, they do not come without a physical cost in a number of ways. Fortunately, proper chiropractic care can help alleviate some of the pain and discomfort associated with both periods in a woman’s life. Having the proper chiropractic equipment allows you to treat these patients both effectively and safely. 

TINA BEYCHOK is an editor and writer with expertise in technical, academic and scientific materials. She is a regular contributor to Chiropractic Economics and resides in Long Beach, Calif. Her online portfolio can be viewed at thatwordgrrl.com, and she can be contacted at tbeychok@gmail.com.

Related Posts

  • Chiropractic and pregnancy: the right table for expectant mothersChiropractic and pregnancy: the right table for expectant mothers
  • 5 reasons to get chiropractic care during pregnancy5 reasons to get chiropractic care during pregnancy
  • Understanding flexion distraction tables and their usesUnderstanding flexion distraction tables and their uses
  • When pediatric chiropractic care saves livesWhen pediatric chiropractic care saves lives
  • The pros and cons of massage roller tables in chiropracticThe pros and cons of massage roller tables in chiropractic
  • Chiropractors can help you with upper back issuesChiropractors can help you with upper back issues

Filed Under: Chiropractic Tables, issue-8-2019, Resource Center

Current Issue

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube logoYouTube logoYouTube

820 A1A N Highway W18,

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

Phone 904.285.6020

Fax 904.395.9118

CONTACT US »

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Copyright © 2021, All Rights Reserved

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE

Get Chiropractic Economics magazine
delivered to your home or office. Just
fill out our form to request your FREE
subscription for 20 issues a year,
including two annual Buyers Guides.

SUBSCRIBE NOW »

Latest Chiropractic News

  • American Chiropractic Association lauds U.S. Congress passing fair competition health legislation
    The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) lauded the U.S. Congress for passing legislation that will promote fair competition in health...
  • Logan University debuts new health center
    Logan University logo
  • Foot Levelers releases spring 2021 seminars schedule