Pregnant and suffering with back pain? This could help.
Posted on
Pregnancy and back pain. The two often go hand-in-hand, and it’s an uncomfortable yet common part of pregnancy for many women.
But chiropractor Dr Sam Bettison from Thrive Canberra says it doesn’t have to be this way—in fact often the pain can be easily managed with exercise and common manual therapy techniques, and there’s good research to support this.
“About 75 per cent of pregnant women have some sort of lower back pain, and of them, at least 50 per cent have pain that’s severe enough to impact on their quality of life—they might need to take time off work or won’t be able to do the things they would normally be able to do, like exercise or running around after their kids,” says Dr Bettison.
Credit: O Photography.
“People don’t necessarily realise how easy it can be to deal with the aches and pains that can come with pregnancy. So I have women who’ve been told, ‘you just have to put up with it, it’ll go once you’ve had the baby’. But the good thing is, more often than not, lower back, pelvic or hip pain can be really easy to deal with. And it’s rarely a sign of any significant damage, which means that most pregnant women with back pain can safely keep active without fear of hurting themselves more.”
With a decade of experience as a chiropractor and as a father himself, Dr Bettison has developed a particular interest in working with women throughout their pregnancy and into parenthood.
Dr Sam Bettison.
Pregnancy and raising young children usually involves the services of a range of health professionals including GPs, midwives, obstetricians, lactation consultants and paediatricians, to name a few.
Having experienced this first-hand as a husband and father, Dr Bettison believes in a team approach and has spent time building professional relationships with a lot of other practitioners in Canberra.
Credit: O Photography.
He is passionate about offering his patients a holistic experience, which includes connecting his patients and their partners with other resources and services that can help.
“Given pregnancy is such a significant part of many people’s lives—not only in that it’s a baby’s start to life, but for many people it’s the transition into parenthood for the first time—to me it seemed like an area where providing good, patient-centred support could make a big difference to the experience,” he says.
“So in addition to helping with the aches and pains that can accompany pregnancy, I try to create a welcoming and nurturing space for mums-to-be. I want them to feel they can ask questions and discuss concerns, and I hope to support and encourage my pregnant clients and their families to be more empowered in the situation.”
Credit: O Photography.
Dr Bettison recently opened his own clinic Thrive Canberra at Macquarie. The calming, light-filled clinic boasts spacious treatment rooms and modern facilities including a baby change area. He also works with a range of athletes to treat sports injuries and manage athletic performance, so the clinic boasts an impressive gym space to help with exercise and rehabilitation for all his clients.
“Pregnancy and birth can be a pretty physical endeavour, so there’s more cross-over between pregnancy and sports care than you might think,” says Dr Bettison.
With a focus on evidence-based practice, Dr Bettison is dedicated to making a measurable difference to his patient’s lives and therefore offers longer treatment times than some other clinics.
“The first time someone comes and sees me they’re with me for a full hour, and after that I spend half an hour with my clients and do a broad range of work,” he says.
“I find having longer appointments allows me to better assess and treat patients – I can address underlying issues and develop treatment plans that bring relief as soon as possible. I’ll ultimately see my patients less frequently and yet I find spending longer in an appointment means they often get better results faster.
“My philosophy is for my clients to be actively involved in their care. I want them to learn to be self-sufficient, so they feel empowered to manage any issues and ultimately feel well enough to focus time and energy on the important things in their lives. Often I can end up looking after other members of my pregnant clients’ families too – partners, babies and children. It is a privilege to work with pregnant women at this important time of life.”
Credit: O Photography.
the essentials
What: Thrive Canberra chiropractic clinic
Where: 102/2 Henshall Way, Macquarie
Bookings: thrivecanberra.com.au or (02) 6156 8383
This editorial was created in partnership with Thrive Canberra. For more information on sponsored partnerships, click here.
Leave a Reply