Scoliosis patients have safe pregnancies and labors all the time. The primary effects of scoliosis are postural changes, mobility changes, muscular imbalance, and pain. While back pain may be worse for scoliosis patients, it's hard to determine whether the pregnancy is exacerbating the scoliosis pain, or the scoliosis is increasing the pregnancy-related back pain.
Scolosis causes the spine to curve laterally and rotate, and because pregnancy takes place in the pelvic region, pregnancy, and/or labor complications, aren't considered common effects of scoliosis. Back pain may increase with pregnancy; tips include starting active and consulting a professional about treatment needs during pregnancy.
When females are diagnosed with scoliosis, a common concern is the ability to get pregnant, carry a healthy baby to term, and have a complication-free labor.
Scoliosis means an unnatural sideways spinal curvature has developed, and to be considered a true scoliosis, there also has to be a rotational component.
Scoliosis is also progressive, so a scoliosis diagnosis means being diagnosed with a progressive condition that's likely to increase in severity.
In children, growth spurts are the main progressive trigger, and in adults, progression may slow, but can increase later in life when/if the spine is experiencing degenerative changes.
Scoliosis is an asymmetrical condition, so its main effect is the development of asymmetrical posture, and in adults, it's compressive pain that leads to most assessments.
Scoliosis that's severe and/or left untreated can cause a number of complications, but fertility issues aren't among them; having scoliosis doesn't make it harder to get pregnant.
Scoliosis also isn't associated with complicated pregnancies, labors, and/or deliveries; with some simple tips and medications, scoliosis patients can have healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy full-term babies.
As is the case with all pregnant women, being in good health and shape going into a pregnancy is key.
When it comes to scoliosis symptoms, the best way to manage them during pregnancy is to follow the recommendations of a patient's treatment provider.
When it comes to scoliosis and a healthy pregnancy, while bracing and X-ray monitoring are not recommended, physical therapy and gentle chiropractic care can continue in many cases.
When approved, treatment should continue through the duration of pregnancy and resume following post-partum recovery.
Staying active is key to any healthy pregnancy, and for scoliosis patients, it's part of leading a spine- and scoliosis-friendly lifestyle.
Staying active also helps maintain endurance and strength: important for labor and delivery.
The spine's natural design is movement-based, so staying active is important for overall spinal health, mobility, and disc health.
An intervertebral disc sits between adjacent vertebral bodies, and disc health is key to overall spinal health. The discs don't have their own vascular supply and perform many key roles in the spine’s biomechanics.
The discs stay hydrated and absorb nutrients from their surroundings through changes in pressure caused by movement.
Maintaining a degree of spinal flexibility is also key. Flexibility of the curve is a determining factor when it comes to potential treatment efficacy, and regular exercise can preserve spinal flexibility for treatment responsiveness and pain relief.
Spinal rigidity is an effect of scoliosis progression, and regular exercise and stretches can help counteract increasing spinal rigidity and back pain.
Scoliosis-specific physical therapy should continue during pregnancy, if approved by a patient's treatment provider, and in many cases, can also help relieve pelvic pain caused by pregnancy.
A healthy diet for pregnant scoliosis patients will support fetal growth and a healthy amount of weight gain.
Any amount of weight gain increases pressure on the spine, its discs, facet joints, and the spine's surroundings, so it’s important to monitor weight gain during pregnancy.
A calcium-rich diet is important for bone and fetus health, and anti-inflammatory foods can reduce back pain and swelling.
Getting a good night's sleep is important for everyone, but when it comes to scoliosis patients, and pregnant women, there are extra demands on the body that make healthy sleep routines crucial.
Scoliosis can interfere with sleep due to difficulty getting comfortable, back pain, and/or breathing problems (in severe cases), and pregnancy is also known to interfere with the ability to get comfortable, causing disruptive back pain, and breathlessness.
Knowing the best sleep position can help, and for nonpregnant scoliosis patients, sleeping flat on the back is the best position for spinal health; it evenly distributes body weight along the spine and doesn't cause pressure points. Sleeping flat on the back also keeps the spine in a straight and neutral alignment, but for pregnant women with scoliosis, sleeping on the side is recommended.
Sleeping on the side should be modified to include a small pillow placed between the knees; this helps align the pelvis and lower spine to relieve back pain and promote optimal spinal and pelvic alignment.
It's also recommended that sleeping on the left side is best during pregnancy. Sleeping on the left side is best for circulation and blood flow to the fetus. Improvements to circulation also reduce swelling (a common pregnancy complaint) in the hands and feet.
Left side-sleeping can also reduce heartburn and acid reflux: another common pregnancy complaint.
Scoliosis patients who plan on having an epidural for pain relief during labor and delivery should have recent X-ray images of their spine available.
An epidural involves inserting a small needle in the epidural space outside the spinal cord through which pain-numbing medication is delivered.
Epidurals are performed every day in hospitals around the world, but for patients with an unnatural spinal curve and rotation, the spine's not in a typical position, and epidural success depends on precise placement of the needle. Providing an anesthesiologist with recent X-ray images can help guide the procedure for accurate placement.
What patients need to know about scoliosis and pregnancy is that in most cases, pregnancy doesn't overly affect scoliosis, and scoliosis isn't known to cause issues getting pregnant, pregnancy complications, or labor/delivery complications.
Tips for a healthy pregnancy with scoliosis include going into the pregnancy in good health and fitness, maintaining a healthy activity level, diet, and sleep routine.
While back pain may increase for scoliosis patients, this may be purely due to the pregnancy, the scoliosis, or a combination of the two, and continuing safe, approved, and noninvasive conservative treatment options during pregnancy can help relieve back pain.
Scoliosis patients deliver healthy babies every day, and a helpful labor/delivery tip is ensuring current X-ray are available for the anesthesiologist; this helps ensure precise placement of the epidural into the space just outside the spinal cord.
Scoliosis patients aren't also known to have more difficult recoveries from labor, so returning to full scoliosis treatment as soon as possible is usually the recommendation.
Here at the CLEAR Scoliosis Institute, patients are comprehensively assessed and guided throughout the course of treatment, and pregnant patients, in particular, can benefit from a comprehensive natural noninvasive approach to managing scoliosis.
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