Feelin’ the pinch

What is Osteopathy

Osteopathy is a safe and effective form of hands-on, physical therapy, that treats the whole body, aiming to find the cause, rather than just treating the patients symptoms. This begins at the case history, asking about the presenting area/s of pain, general medical and pregnancy questions. Examination is also of the whole body, looking for all areas of the body that are not functioning as well as possible. This may include one leg longer than the other, a twist/rotation in the pelvis, spinal restriction, tight muscles and so on. Therefore treatment is of the entire body where appropriate. Tailored advice is always given which can include lifestyle advice, for example gentle exercise, changing your work station set up and so on. Often stretches and exercises can be given too.

Prenatal Osteopathy

The body goes through major changes as it adapts to growing your beautiful baby, these are due to both hormonal and mechanical changes. Your breast tissue increases, ribs expand, the arch in your lower back flattens, muscles and joints relax, the pelvic joint separates and so on, all to allow your growing belly to expand. Some women breeze through pregnancy and all the changes that occur but other women need a bit of extra support to help their body adapt to pregnancy.

There is no set time of when to see an Osteopath when you are pregnant. It can be beneficial to come in for an initial appointment to see how your body is adapting to pregnancy and ‘iron out’ any initial areas that need some extra help. Often women come see Sarah when those aches and pains start, which varies depending on the person.

Some common aches & pains in pregnancy include; headaches, neck pain, breathing issues, back & rib pain, reflux, lower back pain, hip pain, difficulty sleeping, pelvic pain (SPD, symphysis pubis disorder), restless legs syndrome, sciatia, carpal tunnel syndrome and tailbone pain. Treatment is very safe and effective during all stages of pregnancy.

Postnatal Osteopathy

After birth, naturally your body begins to return to its pregnancy state or a version of. With joints, muscles, ligaments etc returning to normal. Please bear in mind this takes months for your physical body and hormones to ‘go back to normal’. This includes your ‘pregnancy weight’ and we are all different. So don’t put any pressure on yourself to ‘bounce back’.

Often after birth most aches and pains experienced during pregnnacy disappear as the weight your belly is gone and your hormones start to settle down. Sometimes a further few appointments are needed after delivery to encourage and support your body through this. New aches and pains can arise when adapting to motherhood. These occur as you are now doing new tasks that your body has never done before like feeding, changing, carrying a baby, leaning over a bassinet or cot, lifting prams and carseats etc.

Breastfeeding can be easy and natural for some women but others may struggle. Commonly Osteopaths see postnatal women for neck, back and lower back pain related to these activities. Tailored advice is always given which may include changing your position whilst feeding, carrying your carseat on a different angle, showering your baby instead of leaning over a bath and so on.

It can be wise to see an Osteopath or womens physio after birth for a check up and treat any issues that may have caused from delivery. This is regardless of vaginal or c-section delivery. If you ever have any concerns, always seek medical advice from your midwife, obstercian or health professional.

Sarah Boughtwood Osteopath
General, Pregnancy and Postnatal Osteopath Milford, Auckland @sarahboughtwoodosteopathwww.sarahboughtwoodosteopath.co.nz