Planning to Get Pregnant?
Here’s why you should consider chiropractic care at Miami’s Vivify Chiropractic Center. The foundation of chiropractic care is healthy nervous system functioning. To prepare for pregnancy, it is important to ensure that your body is functioning at its optimum level. Your brain is the conductor of a complex orchestra, and it directs the functioning of your cells and organs through your nervous system. A chiropractor ensures improvement in the functioning of your spine so that your nervous system can communicate effectively with your body.
How Subluxations Interfere with Your Nervous System
Imagine that your nervous system is an intricate highway system, and you are driving your car through it. Now, zoom out and picture an aerial view of all of the roads and bridges. A truck is driving steadily toward its target location to deliver food and water to the other side of town. If it encounters a broken bridge and is blocked from its destination, the residents will experience a shortage of vital necessities. Over time, if this bridge is not repaired, the residents will experience a deterioration in their health and well-being.
In the same way, when there are subluxations in the vertebrae of your neck and spine, your brain is blocked from using your nervous system to communicate essential information to the rest of your body. A subluxation is a misalignment of the vertebrae that obstructs healthy communication in the body. It is caused by many factors such as stress, poor posture, injuries, car accidents, and scoliosis. Chiropractors check for subluxations in the neck and spine which interfere with the nervous system, and they adjust patients to improve spine function and ensure that their nervous system is healthy.
How Subluxations Cause Infertility
Regarding infertility, subluxations can interfere with the communication between the nervous system and the reproductive organs. Dr. Behrendt states, “The nerves to the reproductive system run through the spine, and if there’s a distortion, it can affect fertility.” To achieve pregnancy, the egg must travel from a woman’s ovary and through the fallopian tubes in order to be fertilized. The nervous system coordinates this process through a muscular action called peristalsis. After the egg is fertilized, peristalsis moves the egg to the uterus. If this communication is distorted because of subluxations, it can result in other conditions such as endometriosis.
Along with directing organ function, the nervous system impacts the delivery of hormones to reproductive organs. When the spine is unhealthy and displays limited movement, this can influence the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which create reproductive hormones. Therefore, subluxations can lead to a hormonal imbalance which may prevent pregnancy.
Research Supporting Chiropractic Treatment for Fertility
Scientific evidence suggests that adjusting subluxations and aligning the spine may result in optimum health and pregnancy. In 2008, the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (2008), detailed a clinical study conducted with 11 women from age 22 to 42, who were struggling with fertility. They had failed with various methods to achieve pregnancy, such as artificial insemination and IVF treatments.
They began receiving chiropractic adjustments to their spines, and all of the women became pregnant during a treatment period ranging from 1 to 20 months. For nine of the participants, chiropractic care was the only medical treatment they received during this time. There are an increasing number of research studies which support the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment of infertility, which has become a serious issue in America.
Risks and Costs of Conventional Infertility Treatments
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, approximately 6 million women struggle with conceiving and carrying a baby to full term. Studies reveal that infertility results from many causes, including issues with ovulation, fallopian tubes, pelvic problems, and hormonal imbalances. Infertility treatments usually involve medication, surgery, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Even if successful, these treatments are dangerous and potentially life-threatening,
Dr. Bedell states, “The use of synthetic hormones to both prevent and promote fertility has been shown to have severe and well documented toxic side effects for women.” Some health risks include “heart problems, cancers of the reproductive organs, breast cancer, diabetes, asthma, thyroid imbalance, and immune dysfunction.” Furthermore, these treatments are expensive with the average cost of IVF at $17,000 per attempt, and less than one third of the attempts result in pregnancy.
The Chiropractic Solution to Infertility
In contrast to the health risks and high costs associated with these medical treatments, chiropractic care in the Coral Gables area provides an alternative solution. Through restoring healthy nervous system functioning, patients may experience an increase in their overall health. Because infertility has various causes, including chemical, physical, and emotional stress, the holistic treatment provided by a chiropractor can be effective.
According to Dr. Peacock’s research, chiropractic care focuses on the connection between all of the body’s systems. Health and well-being are achieved by strengthening the body’s ability to cope effectively with stress. Dr. Peacock states that “chiropractic has been shown to promote that physiological and emotional adaptation.” Furthermore, research has provided evidence of the chiropractic role with fertility.
Do you know a couple that is planning their pregnancy? Tell them about the benefits of chiropractic care that patients receive at Vivify Chiropractic in South Miami.
References:
American pregnancy Association.
http://americanpregnancy.org/infertility/infertility-and-chiropractic-care/
Barham-Floreani, Jennifer. Making Healthy Babies: Your 10-Step Action Plan.
http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/making-healthy-babies-your-10-step-action-plan.html
Burgess, Kelly. Making Adjustments: Infertility and the Chiropractic Link. Preconception.com.
http://www.chiro.org/research/FULL/Making_Adjustments.html
Storms, Faith. Chiropractic & Infertility. Modern alternative pregnancy.
http://modernalternativepregnancy.com/2012/10/01/chiropractic-infertility/#
Williams, Cody. The Chiropractic Approach to Infertility: A Review of Recent Chiropractic