Archive for March 2012

On April 8, 2010, from the New Zealand news outlet Voxy News, comes a report on the preliminary results of a study that shows chiropractic care makes it easier for pregnant women to deliver their babies. The current study is being conducted at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic in Mt. Wellington, New Zealand.

This study looks at how chiropractic care may influence pelvic floor muscle function in healthy women before and after childbirth, and in women suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction. Researcher Dr. Jenny Kruger and research director Dr. Heidi Haavik-Taylor are in charge of the study and are optimistic about the final results.

Dr. Kruger noted, “We are working with a number of pregnant women here in New Zealand and the University of Australia in Sydney, which is also involved in the study, is testing hundreds of women.” She continued, “We are using state of the art 4D ultrasound to visualize the pelvic floor of women, pre and post chiropractic adjustments. We want to see whether spinal adjustments can alter the way the pelvic floor works.”

This new study should add to the body of evidence for the benefits of chiropractic for pregnant women. On their website, the American Pregnancy Association describes chiropractic by saying, “Chiropractic care is health maintenance of the spinal column, discs, related nerves and bone geometry without drugs or surgery. It involves the art and science of adjusting misaligned joints of the body, especially of the spine, which reduces spinal nerve stress and therefore promotes health throughout the body.” The association explained some reasons for seeking chiropractic while pregnant. “Establishing pelvic balance and alignment is another reason to obtain chiropractic care during pregnancy. When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery.”

In the April 11, 2011, issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, is a documented case study showing chiropractic helping a pregnant woman with a breech presentation pregnancy. A breech presentation is when the fetus is not in the proper head-down position as the delivery date is approaching.

According to the study, a breech presentation is created by “intrauterine constraint” which the authors describe as, “as any force external to the developing fetus that obstructs the normal movement of the fetus.”

The study reports that, in the United States, 86 percent of infants with breech presentation are delivered by cesarean which increases risks to the mother and the baby.

In this case, a 25-year-old woman went to a chiropractic office 31 weeks into her pregnancy. She was referred to the chiropractor by her obstetrician who had recently performed an ultrasound which confirmed the breech position. She was hoping to avoid a c-section birth.

A chiropractic examination was performed using the procedures of the “Webster Technique”. The Webster Technique is a specialized analysis and procedure developed by the late Dr. Larry Webster who was affectionately known as the “grandfather of chiropractic pediatrics”. A determination was made that this woman fit the protocol, and so the chiropractor applied the Webster Technique.

Within four hours of the first Webster Technique adjustment, the woman reported feeling “a lot of movement”. The woman commented that she felt the fetus had shifted from a breech position to the transverse position. After her second chiropractic visit, the woman had a prenatal visit at which the obstetrician confirmed that the fetus had turned to the proper vertex position. The study noted that the woman continued to receive chiropractic adjustments for resolution of low back pain until delivery. She eventually had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery.

A case study appearing in the August 6, 2008 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, documented the case of a 23 year old woman with a history of infertility, who was helped with chiropractic. In this case the young woman, who had been on birth control for six years, was also suffering from absence of a menstrual period, low back pain and progressively worsening numbness in both of her legs.

When presenting for chiropractic care, this patient had been trying to get pregnant for over a year. Her history revealed that as a young girl she had never had a period. In response her medical doctor placed her on birth control which she remained on for 6 years. She saw her gynecologist one month prior to the initiation of chiropractic care. Her pelvic ultrasound was normal as was all the patient’s blood work.

Examination determined the presence of subluxations. Chiropractic care was initiated at a rate of 3 visits per week. After 2 weeks of care the patient reported that her back pain had been alleviated. However, at that time she was still suffering from numbness and tingling in her legs, feet, and hips. Further medical tests revealed nothing.

After 3 and a half months of chiropractic care, the patient started having her period. When this happened she also experienced relief from her leg and feet issues. After 4 and a half months of care, she reported that she had 3 positive over-the-counter pregnancy tests and was going for a urine analysis and ultrasound for confirmation. The results of the urine test was positive for pregnancy and the ultrasound performed by her midwife confirmed the implantation site in her uterus. As a result, the patient cancelled her appointment with a fertility specialist.

In this case the patient did not receive any other type of care while receiving chiropractic.

The above is the actual headline from the August 7, 2007 Milford Daily News in Massachusetts. This article addresses the benefits of chiropractic care in pregnancy. The article starts by following the story of one chiropractic patient, Amanda Giampaoli-Martinez, who was receiving chiropractic care throughout her pregnancy. The story notes that when Amanda was ready to give birth she called her chiropractor Dr. Maryam Ahsan, to be present at the birth.

It was not two minutes after the birth of Amanda’s new baby girl, Arianna, that she was checked by Dr. Maryam. New mother Amanda recalled the activity by stating, “Dr. Maryam was driving when I called her and asked if she could come to the hospital. She just turned her car around.” Giampaoli-Martinez continued, “When I was having bad pain, (Dr. Ahsan) put me on my side and adjusted me while I was on the table.” Ms. Giampaoli-Martinez was pleased with her results and noted, “I went three times a week, and after a month my back pain was gone. I was also having shooting leg pain and the hip alignment helped to take that away.”

The article explains that the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association teaches a technique named after the associations late founder Dr. Larry Webster, called the Webster Technique. The article explains that the Webster Technique decreases intrauterine constraint, resulting in a quicker, less difficult delivery. This technique became prominent after it was discovered that certain adjustments had a high success rate in reversing the position of breech babies.

Dr. Jeanne Ohm, executive director of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, explained the procedure, “There is no deep tissue massage with this technique. It’s a really light force,” she said. “Chiropractors will check the woman’s sacrum (pelvis bone) and press on different areas to restore balance. They (patients) turn her on her back and check her belly and a round ligament for tightness.” Dr. Ohm continued, “There are no known contraindications or complications to the adjustments. No one’s ever called back to report a problem, and I would definitely be the first to know. Osteopathic studies have shown the adjustments reduce labor time and fight dystocia (abnormal or overly long childbirth).”

The article also interviewed Dr. David Bilstrom, a board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, and director of Oasis Center for Health in Hinsdale. He feels that most medical doctors are unfamiliar with chiropractic care. He states, “Chiropractic care tends to be quite safe. In the right hands, I would feel very comfortable seeing the treatment done.”

A November 7, 2001 report on a study conducted by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association showed that a chiropractic technique known as the “Webster Breech Turning Technique” was statistically very successful in resolving breech pregnancies without medical procedures. A Breech pregnancy is when the baby is not properly positioned in the mother’s womb near the date for delivery. If the baby is not positioned head-first, the delivery may be difficult or even dangerous for both the mother and child.

This chiropractic technique was created by the late Dr. Larry Webster, who was affectionately known as “The grandfather of chiropractic pediatrics.” The study entailed surveying members of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, Inc (ICPA – www.icpa4kids.com) throughout the United States and Canada. The survey noted that there were a reported 112 cases of breech recorded by the chiropractors. Of these, the results were 102 positive resolutions. This means that in 102 of 112 cases the baby turned properly after the chiropractic procedure was performed. This represents a success rate of almost 92%!

The conclusions of this study clearly stated, “When successful, the Webster Technique avoids the costs and/or risks of either, ECV, cesarean section or vaginal trial of breech. In view of these findings the Webster Technique deserves serious consideration in the health care management of expectant mothers exhibiting adverse fetal presentation.”

The January 27, 2001 British Medical Journal published the results of a new study that showed that exercise during pregnancy may increase birth weight. The study done at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, followed 46 women who were not exercising by their eighth week of pregnancy.

These women were divided into two groups. One group was placed on a mild exercise regime while the other was not. The results showed that women who exercised gave birth to babies who were significantly heavier and longer than those babies born to women who did not exercise.

In a related article also in the British Medical Journal, was the results of another study that showed that larger babies are smarter and develop into children who perform better in school than smaller babies. The study considered a birth weight of 5.5 pounds to be normal. The lead author of the study, Dr. Marcus Richard of Britain’s Medical Research Council states, “It seems clear that birth weight has an influence on cognitive function.” He did go on to state, “Birth weight is only one of the numerous factors that influence cognitive function.”

The study did say that in follow ups of the effects of birth weight on intelligence, the effects were most noticeable under the age of 26. By the age of 43 there were no noticeable effects.

Numerous articles and reports have been in the press recently on chiropractic care for pregnant women. One such news story appeared April 16, 2003 on the NBC TV affiliate from Providence, Rhode Island. The news report by Health Check 10 Reporter Barbara Morse, started by featuring one woman Lee Ann, who recalled having severe pain during her pregnancy by saying, “Pelvic pain, mostly the bone. It felt like something was digging in to my bone. The doctors told me there was nothing they could do.”

Lee Ann then learned that chiropractic care was available at the medical facility, Women and Infants’ Hospital. At this facility, she sought the services of Dr. Ron Tyszkowski, a chiropractor at Women and Infants’ Hospital. “Chiropractic is an option for them and the doctors that are on staff at Women and Infants’ use specific safe techniques for pregnant women that are gentle, natural and do a really effective job of controlling those symptoms,” Dr. Tyszkowski said.

The story also highlighted another chiropractic success story of a woman named Lucia. She recalled, “Where I was living during the pregnancy, I had two flights of stairs I had to go up all the time. It got to the point I could barely carry my son up the stairs.” She described the outcome of the chiropractic care by saying, “I probably couldn’t have gotten through it without it.”

On their website, www.icpa4kids.com, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) has many articles on chiropractic care during pregnancy. The articles state that a growing number of pregnant women are turning to holistic therapies, including chiropractic. Researchers at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School pooled data on 463 women who had recently given birth. In total, 31.3% of subjects used at least one type of complementary care during their pregnancies. Specifically, 5.2% visited a chiropractor; 2.8% had acupuncture or acupressure and 2.8% took vitamin supplements. 5.8% tried alternative techniques (biofeedback, meditation, yoga, tai chi, mental healing, imagery, Reiki, therapeutic touch, dance, reflex, art and aroma therapies); 24.2% used natural therapies (teas, herbs, oils and foods used for medicinal purposes). According to another study reported on the ICPA website, 82 certified nurse-midwives in North Carolina were surveyed about chiropractic care. The results showed that 57.3% of midwives participating in this survey recommending chiropractic to their patients.

ICPA Board member, Dr. Jeanne Ohm, sums up the benefits by saying, “Chiropractic care is essential for the pregnant mother. Her systems and organs are now providing for two and their optimal function is critical for the baby’s healthy development. The mother’s spine and pelvis undergoes many changes and adaptations to compensate for the growing baby and the risk of interference to her nervous system is increased. Specific chiropractic care throughout pregnancy works with enhancing nervous system function providing greater health potential for both the mother and baby.”

A study published on October 14, 2010 in the Oxford journal, Human Reproduction, shows a link between mothers who took painkillers such as acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen during pregnancy, and an increase in future reproductive problems in their male children. Reuters news in London also published a November 9, 2010 article on this study and stated that women who took a combination of more than one of these drugs during pregnancy had an increased risk of giving birth to sons with undescended testicles.

The study showed that the condition of undescended testicles, known as cryptorchidism, is linked to later creating poor semen quality and a greater risk of testicular cancer in the male’s adult life. The article noted that this could explain the sharp increase over the past few decades in male reproductive disorders.

Lead researcher Henrik Leffers of Rigshospitalet, the national hospital of Denmark, commented, “Women may want to try to reduce their analgesic use during pregnancy. However, as biologists this is not something we can advise women about. So we recommend that pregnant women seek advice from their physician.” According to Leffers’ team, which consisted of researchers from Finland, Denmark and France, more than half of pregnant women in Western countries report taking mild analgesics.

The study was conducted by questioning 834 women in Denmark and 1,463 in Finland about their use of the painkillers during pregnancy. Their male babies were then examined to see if there were any possible reproductive issues related to undescended testicles. Additional study work was done on rats which showed long term effects of the usage of these drugs leading to insufficient supplies of the male hormone testosterone during a critical period of gestation when the male organs are forming.

In the human part of the study, the results showed that women who took more than one of these painkillers simultaneously had a seven-fold increased risk of giving birth to sons with this form of reproductive problem as compared with women who took nothing.

Neal Patel of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society commented in the Reuters article, “This study adds to the body of evidence about the effect of medicines on fetal development. However, due to study limitations, further research is needed to draw firm conclusions about the effect of painkillers on male fertility.”

In summing up the impact that these findings could have on the human population, lead researchers Leffers commented to Reuters, “Although we should be cautious, the use of mild analgesics constitutes by far the largest exposure to endocrine disruptors among pregnant women, and use of these compounds is at present the best suggestion for an exposure that can affect a large proportion of the human population.”

The above headline comes from the August 14, 2007 issue of the Dallas Morning Star. In this article, Special Contributor Kathleen Green, starts off by stating, ” Moms-to-be once resigned themselves to nine months of misery. But, frankly, they’ve had enough.” She continues, ” More women are exploring options and seeking alternatives to ease back pain, headaches, exhaustion and much more. One place many are finding relief is at a chiropractor’s office.”

The article follows several chiropractors and their pregnant patients and views their reasons for choosing chiropractic and their results. One such patient was Teresa Seymour, who started chiropractic treatment during her first pregnancy with her daughter who is now 2 years old. Teresa said, “If there were times when I could feel that I was starting to get sore in the back, I would go to the chiropractor.” During her second pregnancy, she reported, “Just picking up my daughter could knock a hip a little bit the wrong way and kind of pinch a nerve,” she says. “I went to [my chiropractor], and he’d adjust my back and my hips.”

The article interviews Dr. Ken Wilson, a chiropractor who sees a lot of pregnant women in his practice and estimates that about 20 percent of his patients are pregnant. He stated, “My focus has changed more to pregnant moms and kids nowadays. My wife had to go through the constant low back [pain] and headaches and really being uncomfortable all of the time. I wanted to help her personally.”

Chris Burfield, an educational director with Dr. Wilson added, “When spinal bones get pulled out of place, those bones push up against or irritate the nerves. Those nerves will start to send pain signals off to the brain to let the brain know there’s a problem.”

Sara Townsley, a former high school science teacher received chiropractic care two years ago during her first pregnancy. She recalled, “If I do a lot of cleaning, like bathroom cleaning where I’m bending over, when I’m pregnant, that’s usually when I have my sciatica.” She continued, “Ella [her daughter] really sat on my hips, and it helped to have them aligned regularly to relieve some pressure and nerve pinching.”

The article also interviews a medical physician, Dr. Walter Evans, an obstetrician-gynecologist in private practice at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. According to the article, Dr. Evans acknowledges a chiropractor’s potential in prenatal care, sometimes referring patients with lower back pain to chiropractors. He states, “I’ve had good luck working with some chiropractors with patients who have low back pain during pregnancy.

A case study appeared on July 22, 2009 in the scientific periodical, The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, documenting the correction of a breech pregnancy and therefore saving a woman from having an unnecessary C-section delivery.

This case involved a 41 year old woman who was 33 weeks pregnant and had confirmation by ultrasound that the baby was in a breech presentation. She came into the chiropractor’s office looking for an alternative to prevent the cesarean procedure which was planned for her 39th week of pregnancy.

The woman did have a history of back pain during her pregnancy. The chiropractic examination showed muscle spasms and tenderness over multiple areas of her spine including her lower back. Her spinal range of motion was also significantly reduced. Numerous other orthopedic tests were positive, and trigger points were detected around her abdomen. It was determined that she had a subluxation of the sacrum and was a good candidate for a technique known as the “Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique”.

According to WikiParenting, “The Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique is a chiropractic procedure used to correct subluxations in the pregnant mothers sacrum and pelvis. The technique was developed the late Dr. Larry Webster, Founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), in 1978. This technique is considered a safe means to restore proper pelvic structure and function for pregnant mothers.” The ICPA defines the procedure by saying, “The Webster Technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and facilitates biomechanical balance in pelvic structures, muscles and ligaments. This has been shown to reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint, allowing the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.”

The results of this case study documented that after 5 Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique adjustments were given to the patient over a 1 month period, an ultrasound was performed by the woman’s medical physician. The ultrasound confirmed that the baby had moved into the vertex position resulting in the planned cesarean section being cancelled. The patient had a vaginal delivery of a baby boy weighing 7lbs 8 oz without complications.