Receiving chiropractic care during pregnancy can help you have a healthier pregnancy. The additional weight you gain and changes in your center of gravity put more strain on the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint -- the joint where the sacrum and ilium meet in the lower back. However, a chiropractor who performs spinal manipulation, provides nutrition counseling, and offers exercise advice can help you find relief from low back pain and other pregnancy symptoms.

Chiropractic care helps to:

Reduce intrauterine constraint (twisting of the uterus). A misaligned pelvis causes ligaments and muscle to tighten. This can affect the position your baby gets in for delivery. Unfortunately, you can have a difficult labor if your baby is in a breech or posterior position. In some cases, your doctor may even have to perform a caesarean section. But chiropractic care that establishes pelvic balance allows more room for the fetus to move into the correct position for delivery.

Prevent vertebral subluxation (when one or more spinal vertebrae move out of position). Muscles around the spine become tight and inflamed. This puts pressure on nerves, which can affect other areas of the body.

If misaligned vertebrae in your neck cause your head to tilt to one side, your lower cervical spine may bend in the opposite direction. Uneven distribution of your body weight puts more stress on joints already stressed by pregnancy, causing pain. A chiropractor uses techniques to adjust misaligned vertebrae back to their proper positions.

Relieve back, neck, and joint pain. It's common to have low back pain during pregnancy, especially if you experienced back pain before becoming pregnant, according to the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. Bending, lifting, and taking care of your other children also put you at higher risk of suffering back pain while you're pregnant. A physically demanding job is yet another risk factor.

When you get further along in your pregnancy, the ligaments that support the sacroiliac joint become more elastic. While these changes in your body are natural and allow the birth canal to expand so the baby can pass through, you may experience pain in your lower back or down your legs. As your increased body weight pushes downward and your pelvis pushes up against the sacroiliac joint during pregnancy, the added stress can cause pain.

Studies show that chiropractic pelvic and spinal manipulation during pregnancy provides pain relief for most women. Getting treatment for back pain while you are pregnant also reduces the likelihood that you will suffer chronic back pain after your pregnancy, as well as help prevent back labor.

Your doctor or chiropractor may suggest gentle stretching exercises. Stretching strengthens lower back muscles, abdominal muscles, and thigh muscles, which can help reduce or  prevent back pain.

Wearing a pelvic support belt is another option for relieving low back or pelvic pain when you're pregnant. The belt supports your back and pelvic joints, decreasing stress on the spine and improving posture.

Contact a company like The Healing Center for more information about pain management and chiropractic care.