As a Chiropractor, I treat patient’s physical bodies, but we are not merely physical, but emotional and spiritual beings as well. Dr. B.J. Palmer, the developer of Chiropractic, stated that 75% of the causes of the vertebral subluxation (when a vertebra misaligns and causes the nerve to malfunction) occur as a result of emotional stress, which he classified as “Thoughts”. The remaining 25% of the causes of the subluxation he classified as either “Traumas” (injuries large or small) or “Toxins” (chemicals from the environment).
My patients (pregnant or not) frequently come in with one or more physical symptoms. These problems can often be attributed to a specific event or cause like falling or lifting, but sometimes there is no apparent physical reason, and patients will say something like, “I just woke up with it” or “I bent over to pick up a pencil and then I couldn’t get up”. It is at these times that less concrete triggers or causes must be evaluated.
“Thoughts” as Dr. Palmer called them or “stressors” as we now call them are an enormous factor in the cause for physical pains and complaints. Stress or anxiety creates a rise in certain hormones within the body, and those hormonal changes lead to a wide variety of physical chemical reactions. Some of these effects are an increased heart rate, increased perspiration, increase inn stomach acid production, and a change in the way blood flows to the various parts of the body. The reason for these physical changes is termed the “fight or flight reflex”, and it is designed for self survival, when our bodies perceive us to be under attack, so we can fight or flee from the dangerous situation. This reflex is not designed to be active for prolonged periods of time because detrimental effects can begin to take place within the body at various locations. Unfortunately, most people have experienced extended durations of stress and can attest to the physical effects of emotional trauma. Some people experience headaches, stomach irritation, high blood pressure, as well as many other symptoms.
There are times when a patient will come to the office with significant symptomatology caused by stress. The physical pain or complaint is by no means less real or valid. The “stress hormones” cause an increase of blood flow to the arms and legs, while diverting most of the blood flow away from vital organs. This can be quite harmful to the pregnant woman if she is in a prolonged stressful period, because the uterus and the baby will not be receiving the normal blood flow and therefore less oxygen will be available for the baby. Even under the best of circumstances, pregnancy is stressful. Adding a child to your life changes every dynamic and relationship. Change is difficult and is therefore stressful. If there are negatively stressful situations compounding the emotional state, then the detrimental effects of prolonged stress are increased.
Similarly circulation changes due to stress will alter how all of the skeletal muscles function. Certain muscles will have an increased blood flow, while others will have a decreased blood supply leading to a susceptibility of injury and irritation. These alterations will result in abnormal musculoskeletal function. This is particularly significant when women are pregnant because the woman’s body is going through significant postural changes on a daily basis as a result of pregnancy, due to weight gain and distribution, increased blood production, and hormonal changes. Women often feel less coordinated as a result, and in this state are prone to injuries.
As is stated previously, Chiropractors are trained to view the human body as physical as well as emotional beings. Fundamentally appreciating the inter—connection of the body’s systems as well as the emotional effects assists a chiropractor in treating the pregnant patient in a balanced way.