Motherhood and women’s health are complex issues that can bring a lot of questions, uncertainty, joy and heartbreak. Here’s great information on the role that chiropractic can play in natural reproductive health.
How’s Your Period? Women’s Health and the Menstrual Cycle
How healthy you are during your pregnancy starts way before conception. Your fertility and menstrual cycle are regulated by hormones; a normal healthy cycle has natural rises and falls of different female hormone levels (including estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, etc.)
You need healthy cycles not only to become pregnant; these hormones are absolutely vital for all women’s health, whether you are planning on becoming pregnant or not.
Chronic high stress is the most common cause of hormone imbalances, due to increased cortisol levels. Reducing stress hormones promotes a healthy environment where your reproductive cycles can become more normal and balanced.
Chiropractic adjustments are a great, natural option for women to lower stress and balance hormones. Chiropractic has been shown to reduce cortisol levels (stress hormone), and increase oxytocin levels (love and social hormone). (2)
Many women who are under regular chiropractic care notice that they are sleeping better, digesting better and that their cycles are easier and more regular – all of which promote better overall reproductive health.
Chiropractic: Natural Support Postpartum
Birthing a baby is an enormous physical feat. However, it is just the beginning of increased demands on a woman’s health.
Getting adjusted after childbirth naturally helps your spine and pelvis. We want you to have a good foundation as the hormone Relaxin (which helped loosen things during pregnancy) begins to decrease and your ligaments start to tighten back up.
Being in alignment helps you move better, be stronger and puts you in a good place for carrying car seats, chasing toddlers and your next pregnancy, if you so desire.
Breastfeeding benefits for mom and baby’s health
Your female body is not fully matured physiologically until it has gone through pregnancy and your milk comes in. This is an important step in YOUR health and your baby’s.
The WHO actually recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. (2) The natural benefits of breastfeeding for women’s health include a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and osteoporosis.
For babies, breast milk contains antioxidants and antibodies. Breastfed children are less susceptible to chronic infections and diseases. So as a mom when you breastfeed you are helping your own health and your baby’s health as well.
Chiropractic helps your body with posture changes from breastfeeding and holding a baby. It can also help if you have a decreased milk supply, or increased stress, or if breastfeeding is difficult due to a poor latch of your baby or a combination of any of these.
What our patients say:
“I receive regular chiropractic care, so it was an easy decision to continue my care when I got pregnant. As my baby and belly grew, frequent adjustments minimized my discomfort and helped me feel my best so my body could focus on supporting new life. I had a healthy pregnancy and my baby was in an optimal position when labor began. I know I have Drs. Darby and Ashley Campbell to thank for that! I have continued my care postpartum to aid in my recovery and counter bad posture from breastfeeding. I am so thankful for how chiropractic care has improved the quality of life for me and my baby.” – Sarah Brown (Mom & business owner)
Chiropractic and Women’s Health Long Term
If you’re a mom, of any age, you are likely handling a million things and pretty tired out. But motherhood and life can take a bigger toll, affecting your mental health.
Anxiety and depression affect approximately 49% of the general population. Women with anxiety disorders are more likely to have a history of cardiac problems, hypertension, metabolic, gastrointestinal, dermatological, respiratory disorders and arthritis. (3)
Chiropractic helps because it directly deals with the nervous system, which is the control center for stress.
“The function of the nervous system is to perceive the environment and coordinate the behavior of all other cells” Dr. Bruce Lipton, Cell Biologist at Stanford Research
The nervous system can be in two basic states, that are useful in different situations. Sympathetic is our “fight or flight” response; parasympathetic is our healing and growing state, where we are supposed to be the majority of the time.
Sometimes, however, we get stuck in a stressed, sympathetic response. This can be caused by a subluxation, a subtle misalignment of the vertebra that interferes with the brain and nervous system function via the spinal cord.
When our spine is misaligned, has subluxations, our nervous system is not fully capable of appropriately managing stress. When in stress, blood directs to the extremities and away from the organs for survival. And that throws off all the other systems and processes.
Imagine the stress of being in the same room as a bear. Would you want to (or be able to) procreate under that amount of stress? Probably not! Would you want to eat and digest your food? Probably not! Would you want to sleep? Probably not!
Getting adjusted removes subluxations and gets the body back to the healing side of the nervous system. Meaning the bear is gone and you can safely relax and heal!
On a mental and emotional level, chiropractic reduces stress hormones (cortisol) and increases the love and feel-good hormone (oxytocin). Human performance wise, this gives you a greater capacity to be able to care for yourself, your family and the rest of life. Let’s get you thriving, not just surviving as a woman and a mom!
What our patients say:
“I was down in the dumps all day, but after my adjustment I was my joyful self again.” – Trish Fuhlendorf (career woman & mom of two kids)
Dr. Darby and Dr. Ashley Campbell are chiropractors in Centennial, Colorado.
We love helping individuals and families live their best lives. We’re here to help you reach optimal health!
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Women’s Health Resources:
- Kovanur Sampath, K., Mani, R., Cotter, J.D, & Tumilty, S. (2015). Measurable changes in the neuroendocrine mechanism following spinal manipulation. Medical Hypothesis, [epub ahead of print, October 7, 2015]. Retrieved from http;//www.medical-hypothesis.com/article/S0306-9877%2815%29003746/abstract
- Exclusive breastfeeding for six months best for babies everywhere https://www.who.int/news/item/15-01-2011-exclusive-breastfeeding-for-six-months-best-for-babies-everywhere
- According to Robert L Leahy. PhD., the author of Anxiety Free, The Worry Cure and Beat the Blues. He is the clinical professor of psychology at Weill-Cornell Medical School.
