The Webster Technique for a Healthy Pregnancy
By Joyce Chung-Quiros, DC F
or many women, pregnancy can be a very uncomfortable ex- perience. Early on, it may begin with morning sickness, mood swings, and food cravings. This can guide a newly pregnant mom on an emotional roller coaster. Then the physical changes begin to kick in. As the baby begins the journey of gestation, the baby gradually develops and grows in the mother’s womb. As the baby grows, it is inevitable that the mother’s belly grows and these changes alter spinal and pelvic alignment.
Chiropractors use many techniques to assist with misalign- ments or “subluxations” in the spinal column, disc, bones, and joints. These can range from manual adjustments to soft tissue techniques that help realign areas of concern. Adjustments are light force manual techniques that a Chiropractor can perform by hand or using small instruments depending on each individual’s needs. The adjustments work to correct and relieve imbalances in the body to restore proper and optimal function. There are numer- ous Chiropractic techniques that can be utilized to effectively help a person with spinal alignment issues. Chiropractic care can safely benefi t all ages and has particularly gained more popularity in recent years for expectant mothers.
Pregnant mothers and their growing babies inside go through an intricate and unique developmental process that may pose physical challenges in their nine-month journey. A preg- nant mother has to adapt to hormonal changes, weight gain, and postural changes throughout her pregnancy. Often, the pregnant mother is unable to adapt to these increased changes as quickly as she is used to, and may develop pain and discomfort in the lower back and pelvic region. Obstetric research shows that proper pelvic positioning, allows for a more comfortable and safer birth outcome for women. Pelvic balance is extremely important for a pregnant mom because the pelvis surrounds and protects the uterus and growing baby. The pelvis and its surrounding tissue and muscles often get tight, strained, and thrown out of balance because of the physical changes mother and baby experience throughout pregnancy.
The Webster technique was developed by Dr. Larry Webster and is a safe and effective adjustment therapy to restore pelvic balance and function as well as relieve stress and tension in the muscles and joints. This technique examines the pelvis and sacrum and can determine alignment issues and imbalances in these ar- eas. The Webster technique analyzes the sacral iliac joint and can
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be assessed on all weight bearing individuals. It involves a specifi c assessment process that includes having the mother bend her knee to try to touch the heel of her foot to her buttocks. The side where the knee is unable to bend as much or is ‘restricted’ in movement is the restricted side and therefore treated to restore balance.
Dr. Webster discovered that this technique was found to be particularly effective on pregnant women. Not only did it help pregnant mothers restore normal physiological function, it signifi - cantly improved their comfort throughout pregnancy and facili- tated an easier birth. The optimal position for a baby during the birthing process is head down and facing towards the mothers’ back which is called ‘vertex’. The fetus can often experience what is called intrauterine constraint throughout a mothers’ pregnancy. Intrauterine constraint is defi ned as any external force or pres- sure put on the growing fetus that obstructs the normal movement of the fetus. This can often occur in pregnant mothers because chemical and physical changes occur at such a faster rate during pregnancy and the mother is unable to adapt or keep up with the demands her body experiences. This means that intrauterine con- straint can prevent a baby from achieving the optimal head down vertex positioning needed for a vaginal birth, therefore necessitat- ing a cesarean delivery.
Dr. Webster also discovered that those pregnant women who presented with a breech baby or a baby that was in malposition benefi ted signifi cantly with this technique. The Webster Technique appeared to normalize the mother’s pelvic alignment as well as facilitate optimal fetus positioning with just a few treatments. This is particularly benefi cial to mothers as obstetric research states that correct positioning of the baby in-utero affects birth outcome and decreases the potential for undue stress to the baby's developing spine and nerve system. Obstetric literature has also determined the importance of the pelvic alignment for the prevention of dysto- cia (diffi cult birth).
It is important to recognize that the Webster Technique is a safe and effective Chiropractic treatment that assesses the pelvis, sacrum and abdominal muscles to optimize balance in the body and prevent pain and discomfort throughout pregnancy. This, in turn, will improve a mother’s chance for a more comfortable labor and decrease the use of interventions during delivery.
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