Prenatal Health: Webster’s Technique In Chiropractic Care For Pregnancy & Fetal Health
Written by Madolyn Linka | February 15, 2021
They say it takes a village to raise a little, and ain’t it the truth!
We, the practitioners at Holistic Physiotherapy & Wellness create a holistic approach to our prenatal care that promotes and benefits the ongoing wellness of mom and baby, which thereby allows for the best possible outcomes in the postpartum. Throughout our many offered services with a vested interested in the prenatal period, we focus and collaborate as team to support the transitory nature of pregnancy - whether you’re seeking physiotherapy for pelvic floor health, naturopathic medicine for a birds eye view of your prenatal vitamins and supplementation, massage therapy to help reduce anxiety and body aches, or prenatal yoga for continued safe and gentle prenatal movement.
Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy is an ideal way to incorporate this holistic approach. The techniques that I use in my practice to help my patients stay comfortable, prevent common injuries and assess that mom and baby are growing well together is a diversified approach using Webster's Technique. What makes this technique so helpful throughout pregnancy is it’s safety, effectiveness and clinical utility. It is common within “chiropractic theories that changes in the normal anatomical, physiological or biomechanical dynamics of contiguous vertebrae or in extra-spinal joints can adversely affect function of the nervous system” (1). And when the nervous system is affected by from floods of hormones, such as relaxin in a short amount of time it can cause dysfunctions in the pelvis which undergo the largest changes. To address these as they occur can make a woman's pregnancy much more comfortable and even enjoyable, as she feels good continuing to exercise and do her daily activities. This chiropractic technique and approach allows overall more space for the baby to grow and rotate into a position that is ideal for birth.
It has been a common misunderstanding that Webster’s technique is used as a “breech turning” or addressing an “in- utero constraint” and although a baby can turn or change positions at any time, Webster’s is more appropriately explained as being ideal for the restoration of neurobiomechanical balance of the pelvis with a sacral adjustment. This is performed with gentle manual adjustments to the sacrum, sacroliliac joints and pelvis as a functioning and continuously changing unit. Adjustments are comfortable for mom and baby alike, as a pillow is typically used to lay onto the table and pieces of the chiropractic table lift and lower to provide an opportunity for gravity to help with the movement of joints and tissues. A side posture adjustment might also be appropriate to treat the pelvis after evaluation, thereby gentle pressure would be placed onto the back of the sacrum with downwards pressure when necessary. And lastly, some soft-tissue contact to the front of the pelvis might be performed which would help to soften the round ligament(s) which acts like a tether for the uterus into the bowl of the pelvis. When this ligament is tight and taut at the area of the groin it can create discomfort and pain while walking, exercising or in general range of movement as the baby grows and takes up more space.
The importance of regular chiropractic visits utilizing Webster's technique approach during pregnancy has ongoing evidence from positive experiences of pregnant patients, clinical experience of practitioners and academic studies supporting that sacral dysfunction can create issues resulting in improper pelvic positioning and overall function when related to a pregnant mother.
Getting assessed by one member of our team, means you will be in close proximity to all other providers who can help you along the way. Ten months of baby-bearing doesn’t have to be uncomfortable, frightening or anxiety ridden, having educated professionals you can reach out to, be cared for by and trust is helpful throughout pregnancy and leads to overall better prenatal health and wellness for both mom and baby!
Madolyn Linka
References:
Ohm, J. Webster’s Technique: Definition, Application and Implications. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health. 2012: 49-53.
Webster, LL. Chiropractic care during pregnancy. Today’s Chiropractor. 1982: 20-2.
Porter, M. Resolution of Back Pain & Sleep Disturbance in a Pregnant Patient Following Chiropractic Care Using Webster Technique: A Case Report & Review of Literature. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health. 2019. 117-121
