The concept of “women’s health” generally refers to medical practices that focus on the treatment and diagnosis of diseases and conditions that affect a woman’s physical and emotional well-being. While it may be an all-encompassing concept, it mainly encourages women to schedule regular visits with a health services team that includes doctors and health care providers from different specialties. The group includes an obstetrician/gynecologist, nurse practitioners, and primary care doctors. These individuals and services are undoubtedly critical. However, one area is often overlooked as being specific to women’s health – chiropractic treatment. 

Below is a brief look at why you should seek a chiropractor for women’s health in Edmonton, AB. To address the importance, we look at how a chiropractor can provide treatment for conditions that you may be experiencing.

Empowering Chiropractic Treatment for Conditions Experienced by Women

Back Pain Conditions Common to Women

Everyone experiences back pain. That being said, many back pain conditions mainly affect women because they relate to hormonal and pregnancy-related changes in the body. These include the following:

    • Piriformis syndrome
    • Sacroiliac joint dysfunction 
    • Spinal osteoarthritis 
    • Degenerative spondylolisthesis
    • Coccydynia 
    • Endometriosis 
    • Spinal osteoporosis fractures

Since these all relate to the spine, regular visits with a chiropractor must be a part of your overall wellness plan.

Neck Pain Conditions Common to Women

Everyone experiences neck pain too. However, the postural changes that occur during and after pregnancy are distinct to women. These postural changes lead not only to back pain but neck pain. This can be aggravated by other daily activities. To nip postpartum neck pain in the bud, see a chiropractor. 

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

There are two primary causes of pelvic floor dysfunction in women. They include pregnancy and menopause. Obesity is also a major culprit. It occurs when there is imbalanced tension in the pelvic floor muscles. Consequences include urinary incontinence, constipation, lower back pain, pain, and discomfort in the pelvic region, genitals or rectum. In many cases, women discover they have pelvic floor dysfunction after experiencing persistently painful intercourse, the latter of which compromises libido, sex life, and relationships with one’s spouse/partner.

While physiotherapy effectively treats pelvic floor dysfunction, chiropractic interventions are equally effective. Treatments tend to include hands-on adjustments of the pubic symphysis and sacroiliac joints. Ligament release techniques and work on the soft tissue that surrounds the region. Furthermore, a chiropractor can manipulate and apply force to the spinal joints and subsequently improve muscle and joint function, which helps stabilize the pelvic floor.

Headaches and Migraines

John Hopkins Medicine reports that women experience more headaches and migraines in adulthood than men. Changes in hormones (more on this below) are considered to be the reasons for this gender disparity. These headaches and migraine-inducing imbalances come from menstruation, the use of oral contraceptives, pregnancy, lactation, and menopause. This “predisposition” can be spurred on by underlying injuries in the neck and/or back. This is where chiropractic intervention comes in. Spinal manipulation is a highly effective treatment option for correcting issues and imbalances in your spine. Learn more about how chiropractors may effectively treat chronic headaches and migraines.

Hormonal Imbalances

Hormonal imbalances have been a consistent theme in everything we have addressed above. The ever-changing lifecycle of women, along with stress, medical conditions, and certain types of medications, can all create hormonal imbalances. If left unchecked, imbalances can result in aforementioned back pain, neck pain, pelvic floor dysfunction,  and chronic headaches. Still, they can also be a causation factor in compromised heart rates, obesity or unhealthy weight loss, and fatigue. While most women seek help through medications and health supplements, it’s essential to know that chiropractic care can assist with restoring hormonal balance.

A chiropractor can identify whether or not spinal alignment issues are interfering with your nerve function. If identified, they can correct issues through spinal adjustments. Adjustments help your brain more efficiently communicate with your endocrine glands, which consequently helps correct hormonal imbalances. As a result, patients may experience improvements in everything from mood, digestion, sleep, cognitive function, hair growth, libido, and more. 

As you can see, regular chiropractic visits should be included in every comprehensive women’s health plan. To book an assessment with a chiropractor for women’s health near you, contact South Edmonton Chiropractic Clinic.