Chiropractic Care for Pregnant Women

💃🏻Fit Mum at Home Series🏃🏻‍♀️

😴Staying At Home can be boring...
🙋🏻But you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr. Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️. These are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow💕. Join now and together we can “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

EP9: Hip Figure 8️⃣
🤰🏻Often during pregnancy, there can be a lot of pressure on your low back and pelvis. This simple stretch can help to loosen the joints and relieve tension in these areas💢.

🪑Lean against the back of a chair, and while you are leaning forward, gently and evenly move your pelvis in a figure-eight-type rotation to keep your pelvic joints uniformly balanced. Repeat 5️⃣ times in each direction as needed.

❗Remember to do the movements slowly. You should not feel much during this exercise.

⚠️If you are experiencing any discomfort, ease off and consult your chiropractor!

💃🏻Fit Mum at Home Series🏃🏻‍♀️

😴Stay At Home can be boring...
🙋🏻But you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr.Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️, which are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow🤰🏻. Join now and together we “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

EP8️⃣: Controlled Articular Rotations
CARs is a recovery technique that help loosen up the joint when moving it through its full range of motion. This stretching exercise helps improve shoulder flexion range of motion.

⚠️Remember to do the movements slowly. You should not feel much during this exercise. If you are experiencing any discomfort, ease off and consult your chiropractor!

💃🏻Fit Mum at Home Series🏃🏻‍♀️

😴Staying At Home can be boring...
🙋🏻But you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr. Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️. These are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow🤰🏻. Join now and together we “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

EP7: Nerve Flossing💆🏻‍♀️
💢Compression of the nerves in the neck that go into the arms can cause numbness, tingling and sometimes burning pain into the arms/hands❗It is important to have an assessment if you are having these symptoms as there can be many causes.

✅Nerve flossing is a simple exercise that may reduce pressure on the nerves. Remember to do the movements slowly. You should not feel much during this exercise.

⚠️If you are experiencing any discomfort, ease off and consult your chiropractor!

💃🏻Fit Mum at Home Series🏃🏻‍♀️

😴Stay At Home can be boring...
🙋🏻But you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr.Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️, which are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow🤰🏻. Join now and together we “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

EP6: Monster Walk👾
✅Glute exercises are important prenatal and postpartum. Strengthening the glute muscle may help counter the anterior pelvic shift often seen in pregnant women and reduce low back pain💢. Monster Walks are excellent for strengthening the glute muscles!

Steps
1. With an exercise band above the top of your knees, walk forwards 4 steps with your feet going slightly out to the side.
2. Walk backwards 4 steps, again, slightly out to the side (diagonal steps).
3. Keep tension on the band while taking steps.
4. Maintain a slight bend in the knees, neutral spine and engage your core for the duration of this exercise.
5. Repeat Steps 1-4, 5 times

*For added difficulty, the band can be placed around ankles.

💃🏻Fit Mum at Home Series🏃🏻‍♀️
😴Staying at home can be boring...
🙋🏻But, you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr. Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️ which, are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow. Join now and together we can “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

🕊EP5: Bird-dog
✅This exercise is excellent for increasing spinal stability and reducing low back pain. ⚠️Try your best to keep the pelvis stable and do not rock side to side as you lift your arms/legs. 🏃🏻‍♀️Only move on to the next level if you can keep your spine/pelvis stable.

1️⃣ Beginner
In a “table top” position keeping a neutral spine and bracing your core muscles, lift one limb at a time just 1 inch off the ground.

2️⃣ Basic - In a “table top” position keeping a neutral spine and bracing your core muscles, extend one limb at a time as if you are trying to elongate your limbs.

3️⃣ Intermediate - In a “table top” position keeping a neutral spine and bracing your core muscles, extend one arm and the opposite leg at the same time. Repeat on the other side.

4️⃣ Advanced - Repeat the same steps at intermediate but add small weight in hands and ankle weights.

Repeat 10 times, 2-3 sets

💃🏻Fit Mum at Home Series🏃🏻‍♀️
😴Staying at home can be boring...
🙋🏻But, you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr. Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️ which, are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow. Join now and together we can “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

🐞EP4: Dead-Bug
Training your core is safe during pregnancy and, in fact, it’s recommended! 💪🏻 Having a strong core will help improve your posture, help minimize pregnancy pains and can keep you moving well throughout all 3 trimesters! 🤰🏻As your belly grows and abdominal muscles stretch (and possibly separate aka diastasis recti), it is very important to work on engaging your ab muscles. This exercise is important prenatal and postpartum❗

Steps:
1. Start with your “Belly Breathing” technique in a table top position.
2. Press your low back on the floor and brace your core muscles.
3. Inhale and tap one foot to the ground while expanding your belly then exhale while returning to the starting position squeezing your belly button towards your spine.
4. Repeat the same with the other foot.
5. Inhale while tapping one arm to the ground behind your head, again expanding your belly, then exhale while bringing your arm back to the starting position and squeezing your belly button towards the spine.
6. Repeat 3-5 rounds

💃🏻Fit Mum at Home Series🏃🏻‍♀️
😴Stay At Home can be boring...
🙋🏻But, you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr.Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️, which are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow🤰🏻. Join now and together we “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

🆕EP3: Glute Bridge

This is another great exercise that will help strengthen your glute muscles. As mentioned in the last video, strengthening your glutes may help counter the anterior pelvic shift often seen in pregnant women🤰🏻and reduce low back pain💢. Glute exercises are important prenatal and postpartum🤱🏻..

Option 1️⃣: Lying on the Floor
1. Slide your heels as close to your butt as you can.
2. Place your hands palms down on the ground by your sides.
3. Brace your core muscles, bring your belly button towards your spine and press your low back towards the floor.
4. Pushing through your heels, lift your hips up, squeezing your glute and hamstring muscles.
5. Hold for 3 seconds at the top then slowly lower back down to the ground.
6. Repeat Step 1-5 for 5-10 times, 2-3 sets.

Option 2️⃣
1. Rest your shoulder blades on a stable chair/couch/bed.
2. Relax your arms on your belly.
3. Keep your knees at a 90 degree angle.
4. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings.
5. Push up your belly to form a straight line with your butt and thigh.
6. Lower down.
7. Repeat Step 1-6 for 8-10 times, 2-3 sets.

💡Remember to keep your feet hip distance apart - your feet should be the same width as your hips❗
💡Don’t forget to exhale while you push up and inhale when you lower down your hips🌬️
💡Take breaks if you need to🧘🏻‍♀️

📣Join Lululemon FREE Online Class tomorrow morning for some stretches. 🧘‍♀️

It’s time to get active while staying safe at home. This Saturday August 8 at 10am, Chiropractoror Dr. Alex Chen will be hosting a complimentary online spinal rehabilitation & stretch session with lululemon on Zoom. This will be a low intensity session. Click the Eventbrite link for more details and to sign up. Get your weekend started right!

https://www.eventbrite.hk/e/online-zoom-class-hosted-by-lululemon-tickets-115495077887?ref=eios

💃🏻Fit Mum at Home Series🏃🏻‍♀️
😴Stay At Home can be boring...
🙋🏻But you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr.Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️, which are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow🤰🏻. Join now and together we “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

EP2: Clamshells🐚
🏃🏻‍♀️This exercise will help strengthen your glute muscle. Strengthening this muscle may help counter the anterior pelvic shift often seen in pregnant women, it also reduces low back and hip pain💢. Glute exercises are important for prenatal and postnatal recovery.👩🏻‍⚕️Dr. Alexandria Chen is going to demonstrate different variations of “Clamshells”, so you can start with the beginner level then increase the difficulty gradually💪🏻!

Lv1️⃣: For Beginners
1. Laying on your side completely while supporting your head with your arm.
2. Stack the hips and put your knees in a bent position (a 90 degree angle).
3. Brace your core by pulling your belly button towards your spine.
4. Keep your heels glued together and raise the top knee as high as you can without shifting your pelvis.
5. Repeat Step 1-4 for 10 times with 2-3 sets.

Lv2️⃣: Advanced version
1. Laying on your side while supporting your upper body with the elbow.
2. Stack the hips and put your knees in a bent position (a 90 degree angle).
3. Brace your core by pulling your belly button towards your spine.
4. Lift up the ankles.
5. Place another arm on the floor for support.
6. Keep your heels glued together and raise the top knee as high as you can without shifting your pelvis.
7. Repeat Step 1-6 for 10 times with 2-3 sets.

🤰🏻Too easy for Supermums? Try doing the Clamshells with an exercise band to increase the difficulty🧶! (Tips: Put it just above the knees but not on the knees❗)

💡Reminders:
❌ Don’t separate your ankles while doing the exercise.
✅ Imagine your ankles are tied together.

❌ Don’t let your hip fall back or forward.
✅ Keep the hips stacked one on top of the other.

😴 Staying At Home can be boring...
🙋🏻 But you can choose to “WORKout From Home” with Dr. Alexandria Chen! This workout series includes exercises that strengthen muscles💪🏻 and stretches for relaxation🧘🏻‍♀️. These are pregnancy-friendly and easy to follow🤰🏻. Join now and together we “Stay Safe and Stay Strong”!🙌🏻

Belly Breathing Technique🌬️
Proper breathing technique is the foundation of all exercises.
👩🏻‍⚕️ In this episode, Dr. Chen will first demonstrate the Belly Breathing Technique to you all.

Steps:
1. Sit or lie down comfortably.
2. With one hand gently resting on the chest and the other on the stomach, take a deep inhale.
3. Think about expanding your belly like a balloon while keeping the chest completely still.
4. Exhale completely while using your ab muscles to squeeze your belly button towards the spine and pressing your lower back onto the floor (if you are lying down).

Use the same technique as above adding in the counting for stress relief or for general relaxation.
1. Inhale for 5 seconds
2. Hold for 3 seconds
3. Exhale for 7 seconds
4. Repeat Step 1-3

💡 Gentle Reminder:
✅ Make sure your body is supported while doing the exercises to reduce injury.
❌ Don’t push the belly down with your hand, just gently rest it on the belly and feel the movement while you breathe.

💤Sleeping right can relieve back pain during pregnancy
👩🏻‍⚕️Dr. Alexandria Chen shows the best sleeping posture for you and your baby

Sleeping on your left side is the best way to avoid putting pressure on important organs and blood vessels while sleeping. This can maximize the blood flow and nutrients reaching your baby! 👶🏻

Remember to use lots of pillows to support the hip, the neck and the belly for an ideal sleeping position! Alternatively there are full body pillows in C or G Shaped to fit pregnant women's need. Sleep right and be pain-free! 💯

👶🏻自從懷孕以後，因腰痠背痛而夜不成眠，想改變睡姿又怕會壓到腹中寶寶?
👩🏻‍⚕️靚女脊醫陳若瑩 Alex 建議準媽媽們可以嘗試左側卧位睡法！

🤰🏻左側卧位睡姿不但能防止背痛、消化不良、呼吸和循環系統不暢等情況，更能改善血液循環，增加對寶寶的供血量，有利於寶寶的生長發育👶🏻。

💡陳醫生最後提提準媽媽們，向左側卧睡的同時，記得用多個枕頭墊着頸部、腹部、下盤及身後等位置；或者可以選用為孕媽媽而設的C或G型攬枕💤

#脊醫 #孕婦 #肩頸膊痛 #痛症 #陳若瑩