New Study for Chiropractic and Pelvic Floor Control
The results are in! A research report has been approved for publication [1], and we thought you’d like the scoop. This is big news for women and for chiropractors alike!
To sum up the results:
• Chiropractic care can have an impact on pelvic floor muscles.
• Pregnant women who received chiropractic care had a greater ability to relax their pelvic floor muscles at rest.
• This relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles may mean that chiropractic care could be of benefit to pregnant women, as it may help them have a natural vaginal delivery.
Why this study matters.
Your pelvic floor muscles are integral to the birth process, and to the prevention of incontinence and other issues, which makes this an exciting piece of knowledge for chiropractors and for women receiving chiropractic care.
For a woman in labor, the ability to relax pelvic floor muscles (as well as contract them) to allow the baby to move through the birth canal is incredibly important, especially as the baby crowns. If the woman can’t relax these muscles as the baby moves through, she will tire more quickly and may require more interventions to assist the birthing process. Muscles that cannot relax could also interfere with a birth progressing without interference. In an ideal situation, strong pelvic floor muscles with an ability to relax would better prepare a mother for a natural, vaginal birth.
Therefore, Chiropractic care may actually enhance your chances of having a natural, complication free childbirth. This is better for both mother and baby.
"If we can have uncomplicated, natural vaginal delivery without drugs and intervention, the baby is better off and the woman is better off. This study we have just done suggests chiropractic care can help women by relaxing their pelvic floor muscles.” --Neuroscientist and Chiropractic Researcher Heidi Haavik
Pregnancy, childbirth and aging can put these muscles through their paces. Across the world, millions of women suffer from incontinence and related conditions, contributing to a massive emotional, physical, social and financial costs and stress. More quality chiropractic research facilitated by donors to The Spinal Research Founda0on. Is chiropractic research important to you?
1. Pelvic floor functional changes with spinal manipulation in pregnant and non-pregnant women: A pilot study. JMPT 2016. In Press.
