Pregnant woman having back achesThinking of starting a family? Every woman who becomes pregnant can expect significant bodily changes, but if you have scoliosis or other spinal curve problems, your concerns may be more than skin deep. In fact, you might fear that your pregnancy could be detrimental to your health.

Rest assured that having scoliosis doesn’t make pregnancy impossible—it might simply require you to seek extra spinal support during pregnancy. With the right treatments at Spine Correction Center, you should expect to carry your baby full term despite your irregular spinal curve.

Before You Conceive…

  • Talk to your doctor. It’s wise to discuss your desire to start a family with your doctor if you have any health conditions or concerns, including scoliosis. You don’t need to fear any major complications, but your doctor can offer advice to get your pregnancy started on the right foot.
  • Know that a vaginal delivery is possible. There should be no reason for your doctor to recommend a cesarean section just because you have scoliosis. Unless you have other underlying health issues, a vaginal delivery should be possible.
  • Be aware that an epidural may not be an option. Having scoliosis could make an epidural impossible, especially if you’ve had a spinal fusion in the past. This is something you should talk about with your doctor so you can discuss what other pain management options are available to you.

Women with Scoliosis Can Have Healthy Pregnancies

According to a study published in the Evidence-Based Spine-Care Journal, pregnancy doesn’t appear to accelerate the progression of scoliosis. There’s no evidence to suggest that even pregnancies affect the long-term spinal curvature of women with mild to moderate scoliosis. However, severe scoliosis could worsen with pregnancy.

These different factors make it clear that talking to your doctor before you conceive is vital for your long-term health.

You May Experience Added Difficulties

It would be unfair to suggest that having scoliosis and pregnancy feels the same as pregnancy with a normal spinal curve. Here are three problems you may face as a pregnant woman with scoliosis:

  • Higher-than-average back pain: It’s often a surprise for the general public to learn, but having scoliosis isn’t always painful. However, combining scoliosis and pregnancy can lead to worse back pain than a typical pregnancy.
  • Difficulty breathing: Many pregnant women experience this symptom, especially in the third trimester as the baby starts to push up on the diaphragm. Lung capacity decreases, and climbing a flight of stairs becomes enough to make any woman who’s nine months pregnant lose her breath. These symptoms are only exacerbated when you combine scoliosis and pregnancy since your irregular spinal curve and possible rib cage deformity limits your baby’s room to grow more than normal.
  • Trouble getting around: Even before you become pregnant, having uneven leg lengths due to your condition can make walking a daily challenge. Your difficulty getting around will only worsen when you face the weight gain and changes in your center of gravity that accompany pregnancy.

Improve Your Chances of a Healthy Pregnancy with Scoliosis Treatment at Spine Correction Center

As long as your doctor says it’s safe for you to move forward with your plan, don’t let the challenges of scoliosis and pregnancy stop you from starting a family. The treatments available at Spine Correction Center in Fort Collins can help make pregnancy with scoliosis as comfortable as possible.

In fact, you can pursue our standard scoliosis treatment or intensive scoliosis treatment to improve your condition before you conceive. The results may straighten your spine enough to help you avoid many of the difficulties associated with scoliosis and pregnancy.

You can also pursue treatments during pregnancy, including yoga, spinal stretching, chiropractic adjustments, and muscle relaxation to help your pregnancy go as smoothly as possible.

To schedule a free scoliosis consultation at Spine Correction Center, please contact us today at (970) 658-5115. We look forward to meeting with you!