Healthy Pregnancy

Low Back Pain

Feeling pressure, pain, or tension in your low back and hips? You’re not alone, this is one of the most common things we see during pregnancy!

When you become pregnant, your body transforms to nurture and accommodate the growing life inside it.  You grow an entirely new organ – the placenta – which basically feeds your baby all it needs – nutrients, oxygen, etc.  Your brain also starts making an aptly named hormone called Relaxin.  This hormone signals all of your connective tissues to become more pliable, in order to accommodate your growing baby.  As your pregnancy progresses, the joints of your hips, tailbone, and low back will become more flexible.  Your ligaments loosen, and then stretch to make room for your baby.  And your muscles will start getting stronger to bear the extra load of supporting your belly.

Your baby grows, and at the same time your body feeds it and makes room for it.  Sounds simple and easy, right?  Well, it is simple, but for many pregnancies, it’s not easy.   Your newfound flexibility might be a little too much for your back, and your joints now naturally bend to uncomfortable positions.  Or your baby might decide to mostly hang out in one particular position inside your womb, putting all of the pressure on one spot inside you.  Or your muscles might not strengthen as quickly as you might need them.  Regardless of the exact reason, you start to notice discomfort or even pain in your low back, tailbone, or hips during your normal day to day activities and life.

So here’s three pieces of good news:

1. This is all (most likely) normal.
2. It can get better.
3. We can help.

Most people will experience some degree of low back pain during their pregnancy.   It’s common, expected, and treatable.   Our chiropractors and physiotherapists help people with pregnancy-related low back pain all the time.  Treatments usually consist of hands-on care for your joints, ligaments, and muscles, paired with stretching & strengthening exercises.  To get started, call to book a free phone consultation with Dr. Alex.

Swelling in extremities

Are you noticing swelling in your face, wrist, hands, ankles, or feet?

When pregnant, your body has a pretty big task: growing an entirely new human inside of you.  Part of doing this will build up extra fluid in your system – 50% more than before you become pregnant!  There’s amniotic fluid for the baby to swim around in, extra blood to carry nutrients and oxygen to your baby through the placenta, etc.  Well, all of that extra fluid’s gotta go somewhere, and sometimes there’s nowhere else to go – so you notice it as swelling in your hands, wrists, face, ankles, and feet.

This complaint is also incredibly common.  Most people notice this swelling (or edema, in our lingo), during the 5th month, and it usually increases during your 3rd trimester.  It tends to worsen with prolonged standing, summer heat, and with caffeine or salt intake.  It can be quite uncomfortable, and the extra pressure can cause feelings of numbness, tingling, or even pain in your hands & feet.

So here’s three pieces of good news (you may notice a pattern here!):

1. This is all (most likely) normal
2. It can get better.
3. We can help

Most people will notice some swelling in their extremities (arms and legs) during their pregnancy.  Some will also experience discomfort, and possibly numbness & tingling.  It’s common, expected, and treatable. Our chiropractors, physiotherapists, and massage therapists help people with pregnancy-related swelling all the time.  Treatment plans usually consist of hands-on care for your joints, ligaments, and muscles, changes to your diet and lifestyle to help minimize water retention, and braces for your wrists or compression stockings for your legs to help prevent the swelling.  To get started, call to book a free phone consultation with Dr. Alex.

Upper Back, Neck & Shoulder Pain

Are you feeling like you’re hunched forward, your shoulders rounded and your neck constantly sore? Let’s fix that!

So have you looked in the mirror recently only to see posture that makes you feel like you’re suddenly decades older?  Or perhaps your neck and shoulders are now getting tired very quickly and then persistently ache for much of the day?

As your baby grows, its weight pulls your belly, and low back, forward on your frame.  Your breasts also grow and become able to create milk, becoming heavier and also pulling your back forward.  To prevent you from toppling over, your posture will change and your upper back will have to work much harder.  Not to mention, all the extra flexibility in your body will mean that the upper back connective tissues will stretch like they’ve never stretched before.

With all this happening, your regular mid back, neck, and shoulder posture will turn into something quite different.  The changed posture and tensions on your muscles and joints can cause discomfort, stiffness, and pain.  You may even notice headaches that seem to reach up from your neck.

Now here’s the good news (I’m starting to sound like a broken record here!):

1. This is all (most likely) normal, and expected.
2. It can get better.
3. We can help.

Many people will notice stiffness, tension, and discomfort in their upper back, neck, and shoulders during their pregnancy.  Some may also experience headaches that start at their neck & shoulders.  This is common, expected, and treatable. Our chiropractors and physiotherapists help people with pregnancy-related back, neck, and shoulder pain all the time.  Treatments usually consist of hands-on care for your joints, ligaments, and muscles, paired with stretching & postural strengthening exercises.  To get started, call to book a free phone consultation with Dr. Alex.

Pelvis Pain

Do your hips and pelvis hurt so much you can barely walk? We can help.

There’s pain, and then there’s PAIN.  Sometimes the pain you may feel in your pelvis, hips, or low back areas can be not only intense, but debilitating.  Naturally, this isn’t merely a challenge but can be truly scary,   So let’s start with this.  We’ve got you.  We’ll figure this out and help you through it.

Just as the rest of your connective tissues and joints are relaxing and becoming more pliable to accommodate your baby’s growth, your pubic bone (the hard bony spot where your two hip bones meet just above your vulva) will separate slightly as your body gets ready for labor and delivering your baby.  If that pubic bone separates too much, you may experience intense pain when walking, taking stairs, getting into and out of cars, rolling over in bed, or even standing on one leg.

Here’s the good news (last time, I promise!):

1. While very unfortunate, this is actually pretty common – maybe 1 in 5 pregnancies experience this “pelvic girdle pain”.
2. It is treatable.
3. We can help.

Unfortunately, this one tends to stick around until delivery, but it does go away after!  Our chiropractors and physiotherapists help people with this nasty pelvic girdle pain all the time.  Treatments usually consist of hands-on care for your joints, ligaments, and muscles, paired with stretching & strengthening exercises, and often a compression brace that goes around your hips .  To get started, call to book a free phone consultation with Dr. Alex.

It hurts, I’m worried, just help me!

We’re happy to help.  Since we offer several different services for people experiencing pregnancy-related challenges, there may be some uncertainty as to how to get the help you need, or who you should see.  To prevent any confusion and ensure you end up with the care you need, we like to start everyone off with a free 15 minute phone consultation with one of our chiropractors, Dr. Alex Angel.

During the consultation, he will first listen to your story.  After you tell us how your pregnancy has affected your daily life, Dr. Alex will then discuss your goals, because everyone’s ambitions are different.  By the time your call is over, you should have a concrete goal for your health, optimism to believe in your own success, and the motivation to make it happen.

You may also come away from your free call with the idea that we will be able to help you achieve your goals.  Treatment plans and strategies are different for everyone, but may include:

• hands-on treatments for your joints, muscles, and tendons – to restore pain-free motion
• rehabilitation exercise plans, tailored to your current abilities and goals – to maximize your motion, endurance, and strength
• braces, taping, or orthotic devices to support your pregnant body

As needed, we’ll also send reports or specialist referrals to your family doctor, OB/GYN, or midwife –  as your health is at its best when your whole team works together!

Call us at 905-389-9522 to book your free phone consult now

If you’re curious as to the specifics of how we can help you navigate the health challenges of your pregnancy, here’s a rundown on the services we offer:

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic treatment can help alleviate pain and stiffness in your joints, muscles, and nerves.  In doing so we restore the alignment and function of your spine, which can help your body adapt to the physical changes of pregnancy. Our team of Chiropractic doctors use gentle techniques, such as the Webster system, to help optimize pelvic alignment and prepare you for labor and delivery.

If you already know that you need chiropractic care, you can dive right in.  Book a full in-person chiropractic assessment now!

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

This physiotherapy specialty  focuses on restoring function to the muscles and tissues of your pelvic floor, which can become weakened or injured during pregnancy and childbirth. We can help prevent or manage issues including incontinence, pelvic pain, and pelvic organ prolapse. Our therapists will also teach you relaxation and breathing techniques that can be helpful during labor and delivery.

If you already know that you need pelvic floor physiotherapy, you can dive right in.  Book a pelvic floor physiotherapy assessment now!

Massage Therapy

All our registered massage therapists are trained in prenatal massage, and use safe and effective techniques that are appropriate for each stage of your pregnancy. Whether you’ve just found out you’re pregnant, or you’re days away from your due date, our massage therapists can treat you safely and effectively. If you want to jump right in to booking a massage, schedule a prenatal massage therapy appointment.

Still not sure what you need?  Have more questions to ask before booking your first appointment?  Call our front desk at 905-389-9522.  Our receptionists can either answer your questions for you, or schedule you a free 15 minute phone consult with Dr. Alex to get your questions answered.