Are Pregnancy Massages Safe?

 

If you’d like to experience a pregnancy massage in Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, or Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan at the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center has the gentle, caring hands you need.

Are Pregnancy Massages Safe?

As a general rule, a pregnancy massage in Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, and Nitro, WV with Dr. McClanahan is safe. However, it’s not usually a good idea if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, have congenital heart disease, or other issues that indicate a high-risk pregnancy. It’s also best to avoid a massage if you’ve had surgery or an organ transplant recently.

Most experts recommend waiting until after your first trimester. And it’s always important to get approval from your OB/GYN first. They’ll let you know if there’s any reason to avoid a massage. Unless they have any objections, a prenatal massage from Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center should not only be safe but can provide a variety of benefits.

Benefits of Pregnancy Massage

Among other things, a prenatal massage can offer three amazing benefits for pregnant women.

Relief of Pain, Tension, and Swelling

A woman’s body goes through a great deal during pregnancy. Everything shifts to accommodate a growing life and to bring that life into the world. While a beautiful process, it can cause several issues in the body.

One common issue in pregnancy is swelling, which is often caused by reduced circulation. It can also occur when the uterus puts pressure on blood vessels. The uterus also sometimes puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, leading to pain, weakness, and more.

Pregnancy can also put pressure on the joints, muscles, and more, leading to pain, tension, and discomfort throughout the body. A prenatal massage can help improve circulation, relieve tension, increase oxygen to the muscles, and help relieve pressure on the nerves.

Regulation of Hormones

Massages are also proven to regulate hormones related to depression and anxiety, such as norepinephrine, cortisol, dopamine, and serotonin. Regulation of these hormones helps improve the mood and can even lead to fewer complications during delivery and a healthier baby.

Better Sleep Quality

As you carry around and care for the life inside of you, getting good quality sleep is essential. Unfortunately, this can be difficult during pregnancy, but pregnancy massages can help. The regulation of hormones, relaxation, and pain relief they provide can help you sleep as you should.

Experience the benefits of pregnancy massage in Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, and Nitro, WV with Dr. McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center by calling (304) 776-1520 for an appointment.

Spinal Degeneration

 

If you’re suffering from or want to prevent spinal degeneration in Teays Valley, St. Albans, Charleston, Cross Lanes, or Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center can provide effective treatment options to help.

What is Spinal Degeneration?

The spine plays an essential role in your daily life. It is directly tied to your ability to walk, sit, stand, and bend. It helps you pick up your kids, work, unload the groceries, shower, and get dressed. It is also responsible for protecting your nerves.

Due to the daily wear and tear, the spine takes a beating constantly. Over time, it begins to wear down or degenerate, affecting the function of the entire body. Posture issues and injuries can cause it to wear down more quickly. This typically happens in four phases.

Phase 1: The first phase isn’t very severe, and you might not realize that there’s an issue yet. You’ll likely notice a slight difference in the curve of your spine and in your balance. Without treatment at this point, it can lead to pressure on the joints, nerves, and discs, affecting the posture.

Phase 2: The second phase is often accompanied by chronic fatigue, pain, and aches, which can all cause emotional and mental stress. These effects can lead to further changes in the posture, bone spurs, and narrowing discs. If you seek treatment for spinal degeneration in Teays Valley, St. Albans, Charleston, Cross Lanes, or Nitro, WV at this point, you still have a high chance of reversing the condition.

Phase 3: Life often changes tremendously at this point. Due to the effects of the first two phases, patients typically find themselves in a great deal of pain with less energy, nerve damage, more significant posture changes, advanced bone decay or deformation, and permanent scar tissue. It can be difficult to move as they once did. They lose some of their height and the curve of the spine becomes very pronounced. Dr. McClanahan can help reduce these symptoms and some of the effects.

Phase 4: The final phase of spinal degeneration brings extreme imbalance of the posture and limited mobility. Patients typically have permanent scar tissue, fused bones, extreme nerve damage, and severe calcium damage. Most of the damage at this point is irreversible. However, visiting Dr. McClanahan at the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center can help decrease your discomfort and pain while helping improve your quality of life.

Don’t let spinal degeneration in Teays Valley, St. Albans, Charleston, Cross Lanes, or Nitro, WV take over your life. Schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center by calling (304) 776-1520.

What is a Subluxation?

 

If you’re suffering from a subluxation in Teays Valley, St. Albans, Charleston, Cross Lanes, or Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center can help you achieve relief.

What Is a Subluxation?

A subluxation occurs when a joint becomes partially dislocated, and it typically occurs in the spine, elbow, patella, or shoulder. Subluxations are usually caused by two things: injuries and weakened joints.

While a major accident, like an auto accident, can certainly cause subluxation, less severe incidents can cause them, too. In fact, a small fall or grabbing a child’s arm to keep them from falling can cause a partial dislocation.

Weakened joints make it easier for subluxations to occur. Joints often weaken with age, due to inactivity, and even during pregnancy, as the weight and pressure loosen a mother’s joints and ligaments. Certain medical conditions, job activities, exercise, and repetitive motion can also make joints susceptible.

Symptoms

It’s often easy to overlook a subluxation. As they are not as pronounced as a break or a luxation, which is a full dislocation, they are not as easy to recognize. Therefore, it’s important to know the symptoms so that you can address the condition as soon as possible.

The most common symptoms include the following:

• Pain and swelling near a joint
• Changes in mobility, range of motion, or balance
• Numbness, stiffness, tingling, weakness, or instability around a joint

If you notice any of these symptoms of subluxations and live in Teays Valley, St. Albans, Charleston, Cross Lanes, or Nitro, WV, it’s important that you schedule a visit with Dr. McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center as soon as possible.

Treatments for Subluxations

One of the most effective treatments for partial dislocation is a chiropractic adjustment. Putting the joints back in their proper place can help reduce pain, inflammation, and discomfort. It can also take pressure off of the nearby joints and muscles, which can improve range of motion, balance, and more. Dr. McClanahan may also recommend therapeutic exercise to help address the issue and prevent further subluxations in the area.

Don’t let a subluxation slow you down in Teays Valley, St. Albans, Charleston, Cross Lanes, or Nitro, WV. Schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center by calling (304) 776-1520 today.