Pregnancy and Chiropractic

22 Oct 2012 Women & Pregnancy , , , , , , , , ,

Is chiropractic safe during pregnancy?

 

“There are no contra-indications to chiropractic care during pregnancy,” according to the American Pregnancy Association.  And when you think about how long chiropractics has been around, it could be considered one of the safest procedures that can be performed during your pregnancy. While all chiropractic professionals receive some training in school with regards to the special needs of pregnant women, only some doctors, like Dr. Walker at InHealth Clinic, continue their training and work with pregnancy in their practice.

 

Why should I have chiropractic care during pregnancy?

 

As you go through physiological and hormonal changes, your body becomes the perfect environment for developing a child. This can sometimes cause physical stress, which can improve with chiropractic care. Keeping your back joints and pelvis from misalignment and keeping you comfortable means that your baby will have the optimal amount of room in the pelvis to develop. This also means your baby will be in the best position possible for delivery reducing the intensity of back labor during your birth and preventing dysticoa (difficult labor).  Additionally, keeping your spine and pelvis in alignment can reduce the occurrence of breech positioned babies.

 

What happens if my baby is breech?

 

A wonderful chiropractor, the late Larry Webster D.C., developed a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment which enables the chiropractor to balance the women’s pelvis and reduce pressure and stress on the uterus so that the fetus will reach an optimal position which is head down in the birth canal.  The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported in July/August 2002 that the success rate of babies turning vertex was 82% using the Webster Technique. The technique is widely used and much more comfortable than the external version that is performed in many cases. The highest success in turning a breech baby is achieved at 36-38 weeks. Once it gets much past this, the success rate drops due to the baby’s larger size taking up more room in the uterus. It is always best to seek chiropractic care as soon as you are told your baby is breech.

 

When is the soonest I can see a chiropractor post-partum?

 

The soonest is immediately, however most women tend to wait about two weeks until they have had time to adjust to being a new mom and have healed vaginally a bit. Our office does make house calls for one special group — our post-partum moms, whether for you or baby.  The earliest we have responded was four hours after a birth for a mom that had a C-section and the little one’s head was flexed to one side and not moving.  Mom was also having a burning low back pain, which was treated at this time.

 

What about preparing for labor? Are there things that I can do naturally?

 

Pregnancy may leave you concerned or tired. Here are a few things we treat with natural remedies.

 

  • Gestational diabetes – diet, minerals and botanical medicine
  • Stress – herbal stress reducing minerals
  • Preparing the uterus for labor – Uterine tonics
  • Breast soreness due to breast feeding – healing salves
  • Episiotomy healing – herbal poultices and sitz baths
  • Umbilical cord healing – salve and powder
  • Nutrition – vitamins, oils safe for pregnancy, and minerals
  • Preventing antibiotics for newborn – mom on a strong probiotic
  • Morning sickness – homeopathic remedies

 

We have more tools at our disposal, but the above give you some of the common needs of our patients.

 

Remember that chiropractic is safe as soon as you need it!  At inHealth, we are here to serve you during this very special time. If you have concerns or needs feel free to call our office, we never mind being a resource and promise to direct you to the best person to meet your needs.

 

Resources:

 

American Pregnancy Association:  http://www.americanpregnancy.org

BABI:   http://www.bayareabirthinfo.org/

Lagging Libido

22 Oct 2012 Women & Pregnancy, Your Overall Health ,

  

What is Libido?

Libido is a person’s sex drive or interest in sexual activities. It is usually determined by a combination of hormones that our body secretes as well as neurotransmitters that cause us to desire sex in the first place.  Neurotransmitters are chemicals released in our brain and nervous system that stimulate different feelings as well as physical responses. This body chemistry is what makes up our libido.  One theory is that the sex response is a reflex, but emotions can override this reflex.

Why Do Women Struggle More With Loss of Libido?

Women tend to struggle more as a result of events, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause, that don’t occur in a man’s body. Women, at any stage in their life, can have a couple of factors that can decrease sexual desire.

  • Nerve or muscle damage during delivery lowers sensitivity in the genital area.
  • Breastfeeding lowers a hormone called estradial. This hormone is responsible for keeping the urogenital tract lubricated and supple and a deficiency can make sex painful. Breastfeeding also raises prolactin levels, which drops the level of testosterone, the main hormone that fuels our desire.
  • Sleep deprivation is a new mom’s constant companion. Sex, as with any activity requiring effort, requires energy to enjoy it!
  • Later in life, as women approach the onset of menopause, the decrease in both testosterone and estradial can radically reduce their sexual desire.

Doesn’t Everyone Experience a Drop in Hormones?

Both men and women experience a drop in testosterone as they age. This will cause a thinning of pubic hair and a decreased sensitivity to stimulation or a weakening of one’s climax. A decrease in overall hormones of both sexes, such as melatonin and DHEA, can lessen the enthusiasm for sex itself.  This can cause frustration in a relationship that can make the issue even more difficult to handle. 

What Else Affects Libido?

Both sexes can experience a drop in sex drive. The following factors may need to be addressed with your health care provider.

  • Medications such as anti-depressants, some birth control pills, and blood-pressure lowering drugs
  • Weight gain
  • Stress
  • Relationship issues

What Type of Things Can I Do to Improve Libido?

  • Exercise regularly to increase in blood flow and endorphins
  • Eat healthy foods to maintain a healthy weight, boost energy and keep your hormones in balance
  • Reduce your stress. Consider seeing a life coach or counselor to talk things through, either individually or with your partner.

We have to remember that our reproductive function is not necessary for daily survival. When the body is struggling it will divert resources from this area and move it to more vital systems.

How Can I Reduce Stress when I’m Crunched for Time?

There are a few things you can try, even if you only have about 15 minutes a day. Sometimes it can be the best 15 minutes of your day! These are suggestions from the American Lung Association. You can find a copy at our office. http://www.ffsonline.org/assets/handouts/module-5/52-proven-stress-reducers.pdf

  • Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments.
  • Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.
  • Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn’t get mowed this weekend.
  • Don’t rely on memory.  “The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory.” –Chinese Proverb
  • Get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning. Extra time helps make mishaps less stressful.
  • Get enough sleep.
  • Take frequent stretch breaks when you’re sitting a lot. 

It Can Be Frustrating.  We Can Help!

At In Health, we can develop a comprehensive plan to deal with medication side effects, weight gain, stress, and even the hormone fluctuations that may create a lagging libido problem for both men and women. Our bodies perform best when they are in balance. Let us help you get there!

Infertility

22 Oct 2012 Women & Pregnancy , , , , , , ,

Struggling With Infertility?

Infertility describes a couple that has not been able to conceive after having unprotected sex for at least one year. The cause of this emotionally draining problem can be one of many physical or chemical factors. At inHealth Clinic we’ve found that fertility is negatively affected by extreme stress which can wreak havoc with sex hormones, adrenal hormones and blood sugar levels.  Modern society values hard work and long hours without any consideration to how they affect a human being!

In most cases, fertility is most likely due to causes in a woman’s system.  A woman’s system is more complicated than a man’s with more things that can go wrong at any one time.  However this rarely means that there aren’t problems associated with both parties, that with some herbal intervention, can be fixed.

Some of the common causes of infertility are:

  • Endometriosis
  • Estrogen/ progesterone imbalances
  • Improper processing of hormones through the liver
  • A hostile uterine environment
  • Timing of sexual intercourse
  • Irregular cycles
  • Low sperm count
  • Adrenal fatigue causing a hostile environment within the body
  • Blood sugar dis-regulation disorders
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome
  • Sexually transmitted infections
  • Delayed Childbearing

The average time that it takes to get pregnant is 3-6 months. However, a history of some of the above risk factors may make conceiving more difficult. The best plan for easy conception is to get your body healthy first. Then, if you haven’t gotten pregnant and you are wondering what to do next, we suggest being seen in our office.

During your appointment we will spend 90 minutes going over every detail of your health history.  What surprises people is that we won’t just talk about your reproductive function, but other areas of your health as well.  As you can see from the above list, problems like adrenal fatigue, blood sugar issues and stress can be the cause of your infertility as often as a true reproductive system issue.

One common approach to infertility is intrauterine insemination. Doctors will usually attempt this 3-4 times before recommending moving on to invitro-fertilization.  While these two procedures sound relatively simple, the hormones that a woman is placed on to stimulate increased egg release, as well as the strong hormones needed to maintain the pregnancy can leave a woman whose body is already stressed or under pressure even further away from conceiving.  At inHealth Clinic we work with our patients to make sure the body is optimally prepared to carry a child.  Even if natural solutions don’t work we can modify and work with you so that you will be able to sustain and conceive while doing IUI or IVF.

Here is a typical treatment program for infertility:

  • Stress reduction activities
  • Normalizing stress hormones both before infertility and those that occur with it
  • Acupuncture to improve pelvic blood flow or for improving sperm quality and quantity
  • Supplements for any vitamin deficiencies such as B12 or amino acids
  • Lab evaluation of hormone levels
  • Botanicals for balancing hormones or bringing levels back into place
  • Bio-identical hormone management

The above is just a sample as each treatment plan is developed specifically for each woman’s body and reasons for infertility. We are proud to have a history of success at inHealth Clinic and would like to help you on the road to parenthood. We offer a free 10-minute phone consult where we can determine if we can help you or if you would be better served with another professional.

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