The joys of pregnancy can come with low back and pelvic pain that a lot of expectant mothers endure. “Pain has
become an expectation of pregnancy when it shouldn’t be,” says Jason Hulme, a chiropractic physician with Active Spine and Joint Center in Hendersonville. Hulme is certified in a new approach to therapy and treatment that helps expectant moms with their pain.
The treatment stems from a recent study of pregnant women conducted by Washington University and Logan Chiropractic College, both in St. Louis, Mo. More than 50 percent of the women in the study who underwent treatment improved or became completely pain/symptom free.
Hulme says the pain women commonly experience is due to the way ligaments relax.
Muscles have to take on more in order to support the developing baby; if the muscles aren’t ready for the task, musculoskeletal hip pain is the result. Women at greater risk are ones who experienced low back pain prior to pregnancy and women who are having their second (or subsequent) child.
“For women experiencing a second pregnancy, research proves the abdominal muscles are going to be weaker due to the prior birthing process,” Hulme says.
Hulme’s therapy retrains and reactivates muscles during a woman’s first and second trimesters. Women planning to become pregnant can benefit by learning beneficial exercises to protect the lower back. After a preliminary assessment and general tests, Hulme will work with your obstetrician for the best results. “The key thing is that we work in adjunct with the mother’s OB, and we update the OB through the entire process,” Hulme says.
Active Spine and Joint Center is located at 100 Bluegrass Commons Blvd., Ste. 150. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call 537-5520.
