Breech Pregnancy Correction with Chiropractic Confirmed on Ultrasound – Case Study

Dr. Eric DeRusha — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:31:41 +0000

A research article published on February 2, 2010 in the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, documented the case study of a pregnant woman whose breech pregnancy was corrected with chiropractic care. This case study involved a 35 year old woman who was pregnant with her third child. She had recently been to her OBGYN for an ultrasound, which showed the male fetus to be in a breech position.

The woman, now in her 31st week of pregnancy, had also been experiencing pain in her pelvis just 2 weeks earlier. Because of this pain she was forced to discontinue her daily exercise regimen which included running three miles per day. She described the pain as more of a pressure in her pelvis as opposed to a pain. In addition, the woman reported that she had gained more weight with this pregnancy than with either of her two previous pregnancies and she was experiencing heartburn and acid reflux.

The woman went for a chiropractic examination after having done some research on the Internet where she found some information about breech pregnancies being helped with specific forms of chiropractic care. Her examination showed some postural irregularities indicating some spinal involvement. In addition, bilateral surface temperature measurements and surface EMG tests also showed asymmetry indicating spinal involvement.

Based upon the chiropractic examination findings care was initiated using the “Webster Technique”, a specific chiropractic technique used in breech pregnancy when certain examination findings are present. The case study noted that the Webster Technique has been shown to have high rates of success, based on a previous survey of 112 chiropractic practitioners who utilized the Webster Technique in their offices. In that survey study 92% of the cases had resolution of breech presentation, and of this 88% resulted in unassisted vaginal births.

In this case, the woman received seven Webster Technique adjustments over the course of a three week period. An ultrasound was performed by the patient’s obstetrician after the patient’s fifth adjustment, showing that the fetus had successfully moved into a normal vertex position. The patient gave birth to the 7 pound 12 ounce boy vaginally after an uncomplicated 12 hour labor five days earlier than the baby’s projected due date and approximately one month after the mother had started chiropractic care.

For further information on this topic you can contact Dr. DeRusha at Paint Creek Chiropractic Center, 248-601-4540, in downtown Rochester, Michigan.

Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain Helped with Chiropractic

Dr. Eric DeRusha — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:27:45 +0000

A review of previous studies on the effectiveness of chiropractic for pregnant women with lower back pain was published in the July 2008 edition of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT). This study looked at previously published works on this subject to review the body of evidence for the effectiveness of chiropractic care.
The JMPT report starts off by noting that between 50% and 80% of pregnant women suffer from low back pain (LBP) during their pregnancy. They noted that a review of previous work showed that from 68% to 85% of pregnant women with back pain during pregnancy do not look for any care for their lower back pain. The authors theorize that this is because most pregnant women consider back pain to be a normal part of the pregnancy.
In reviewing all the scientific literature on the subject of chiropractic for low back pain in pregnancy, the authors of the JMPT review narrowed their selection down to 6 studies that met their specific criteria. The results of the various studies showed a high percentage of pregnant women did get relief from their lower back pain through chiropractic.
In one reviewed study 84% of the 25 subjects reported relief of their lower back pain. In a larger study of 103 patients who received chiropractic care during their pregnancy, all of the women reported greater than 50% decrease in back pain on a questionnaire. In yet another case series where 120 pregnant women with LBP underwent an average of 15 chiropractic treatments, the results showed that 25% had complete remission of their back pain, 50% reported feeling very well, 15% were feeling better, and 10% noted no change in condition.
Interestingly, none of the studies reviewed for the JMPT report indicated any adverse effects or evidence of harm to either the pregnant woman or unborn child from the chiropractic care. The authors of the JMPT report noted that there was a need for more comprehensive studies involving control groups, but they did note that all studies they included reported positive results for the subject under chiropractic care. They noted in their conclusion, “Results from the 6 included studies showed that chiropractic care is associated with improved outcome in pregnancy-related LBP.”

This is a great review of research showing the effectiveness of chiropractic for low back pain during pregnancy. It is an honor to adjust expecting mothers and then checking their babies for subluxations when they are born. -Dr.Eric DeRusha, Paint Creek Chiropractic Center.

» Chiropractic and Pregnancy

Breech Pregnancy Correction with Chiropractic Confirmed on Ultrasound – Case Study

Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain Helped with Chiropractic