May is a special month for many reasons. After a long, harsh winter, spring is at last in full swing. Memorial Day helps us honor those who have fought and fallen in the name of freedom. And on the second Sunday of the month, we celebrate mothers – those who brought us into the world, nurtured us, protected us and helped us make sense of it all.
As chiropractors, we're in a unique position to give back to those who give so much. As we know, chiropractic offers powerful, natural treatments for many of the health challenges unique to mothers and women at every stage of life. And what better way to reach more people than by making a difference in the lives of women?
When it comes to health care decisions for the family unit, we know the mother rises to the natural role of leader. Research proves what we intrinsically know to be true: The U.S. Department of Labor reported in 2013 that women make approximately 80 percent of health care decisions for their families.1
By caring for women and moms, particularly by attuning ourselves to their unique challenges and needs, we're doing the right thing for our practices, our patients and our profession.
Chiropractic for Moms-to-Be
Pregnancy should be a joyful time, full of wonder and excitement. Yet many women suffer from unpleasant symptoms and, especially for first-time moms-to-be, anxiety about what will happen on the "big day" when baby at last arrives. Your care can help alleviate both physical symptoms and stress. As we know, chiropractic can help by controlling nausea,2 relieving back pain,3 and helping to establish pelvic balance and alignment.4
We know how important pelvic alignment is; for pregnant women, it is even more important. A misaligned pelvis may reduce the room a growing baby needs and can lead to dystocia (difficult labor) or breech birth.5 Your care plan also might include at-home strengthening and stretching exercises for the spine and pelvis, which can also help increase her chances of experiencing a safe, natural birth and avoiding the surgical table.
Chiropractic for New Moms (and Their Families): Lifetime Care and Wellness
Birth is a traumatic event for the body (gentlemen, just ask your wives!), and can seriously impact a woman's spinal and pelvic biomechanics. Lifting, holding, rocking and nursing a baby, carrying a car seat with an infant, etc. – these are taxing movements that can further invite bodily stress and pain. You can help restore strength and function with manipulation, exercises and stretches, and teaching new moms healthier positions and lifting techniques can make a world of difference for their comfort and well-being.6
New moms will also value your nutrition recommendations for returning to a healthy, pre-baby weight in the weeks and months after birth. Remember, we are not just treating mom, but the heart of the family. And we're all in this together.
Once you build trust with mom, she's also more likely to bring her family members to you, including her newborn. In her 2012 paper, "Efficacy of Chiropractic Manual Therapy on Infant Colic," Dr. Joyce Miller found that crying time decreased by up to 51 percent in the chiropractic treatment group.7 Imagine what a breakthrough that could be for new parents!
Chiropractic Care for Every Stage of Her Life
We know chiropractic care has been shown to help with many of the other problems commonly suffered by women, including menstrual period pain (dysmenorrhea),8 premenstrual syndrome (PMS),9-11 chronic headaches,12 and problems associated with aging (osteoarthritis,13-15 rheumatoid arthritis,16 menopause symptoms,17-18 etc.). Remember, doctor, you can – and should be – your female patients' first line of defense. Here are a few ideas to help you serve more mothers, women and families in your community:
In addition to the above ideas, it's always a good idea to continue your education and stay atop the latest advancements in technique. Here are a few ways to improve your skills with regard to caring for pregnant women (and children):
Chiropractic treatment and wellness programs offer a wealth of benefits for women, whether they're pregnant, new mothers, or simply trying to lead healthier lives through weight loss, stress reduction, or protecting and strengthening their bones, nerves, joints and muscles. You can make a difference for mothers, their partners and children to create lifelong relationships with the whole family. Mothers and their families need chiropractic. Let that chiropractor be you.
References
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
