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Wiep de Vries is a Holistic Health Practitioner and not a medical doctor. Information contained on this website and received from Wiep is solely for EDUCATIONAL purposes.Information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should carefully read all product
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WiepCare for Women specifically targets the aches and pains that come up or worsen during or after pregnancy, so that mothers can maintain an optimal level of function; RMT can even ease the birthing experience. The first step to lessening the pain is to understand the cause. Wiep helps women by finding the chronic stress patterns held in the body that perpetuate the aches and pains.
Wiep’s work is complimentary to chiropractic treatments. The muscular approach will actually help retain the benefits of chiropractic treatment for longer periods of time, or even help to heal the original cause of pain.
Learn the steps to manage and improve pregnancy - end the soreness. Wiep shows women how to relieve aches and pains, steps that will again be appreciated, when the back is bearing the strain of constantly lifting the baby or the 20 pound toddler.
Aches and pains are an unnecessary part of pregnancy. Bodily changes during this time, the extra weight, the change
of the center of gravity and hormonal changes, are common causes of
lower back and pelvic pains. Also, carrying the little one can cause neck and shoulder stress. Ignoring acute and chronic aches and pains can lead to a pattern of tissue irritation and inflammation, and a build up of scar tissue, which in turn
results in more stiffness and pain.
626-319-8029
WiepCare for Women is a practice developed by Wiep specifically targeting the aches and pains that come up during or after pregnancy, so that mothers can maintain an optimal level of function; RMT can even ease the birthing experience. The first step to lessening the pain is to understand the cause. Wiep helps women by finding the chronic stress patterns held in the body that perpetuate the aches and pains.
Back pain is a common complaint during and after pregnancy, that can reduce the joyful experience of carrying the baby, whether in the womb or in the mom’s arms. It is estimated that between 50% and 80% of women experience some form of back pain during their pregnancy, ranging from mild pain associated with specific activities to acute back pain that can become chronic.
The body work that Wiep did for me was on my back – a while after I had given birth, when I was teaching nursery school, I was on my feet all the time and then one day I pulled my back out completely, and I couldn't stand up straight. I was referred to Wiep, she came to my house & did one of her massages and it really helped my back. Immediately after the session I could stand up straight, and my back pain was relieved. I have not pulled my back out since (its been about one year). ~ Julie, age 35, Hermosa Beach.
I called Wiep when, late in my pregnancy, I pulled a muscle near my rib cage. Wiep seemed to understand intuitively how to locate the injured area, but she also worked the entire surrounding muscle system, relaxing all the tension that had accumulated from months of carrying the baby. I had an almost instantaneous recovery! And I wish I had invested in massage throughout the pregnancy – what a difference it made.
~ Sara, age 33, Echo Park
Pregnancy Associated Back Pain
Back pain can occur at any time during pregnancy, most often the onset is between the fifth and the seventh month of pregnancy. For many women, it interferes with daily activities and the ability to get a good night's sleep. It can also make the delivery very challenging.
The pain can be in the lumbar area (lower back), or in the pelvic area. Lumbar pain during pregnancy is generally located at and above the waist in the center of the back. It may or may not be concurrent with pain that radiates into your leg or foot. This type of pain typically increases with prolonged postures (such as sitting, standing, or repetitive lifting). Tenderness may also be present in the muscles along the spine during pregnancy.
Posterior pelvic pain (in back of the pelvis) is four times more prevalent than lumbar pain in pregnancy. It is a deep pain felt below and to the side at the waistline, and/or below the waistline on either side across the tailbone (sacrum). This type of pain may be experienced on one or both sides. Posterior pelvic pain during pregnancy can extend down into the buttock and upper portion of the posterior (in back of) thighs, and does not usually radiate below the knees. It can be associated with pubic pain. The pain does not quickly resolve with rest, and morning stiffness may also be present. It gets worse when you lay for a longer time on your side, when climbing stairs, getting up, bending forward, and during walking. Long periods of sitting (like in front of the tv or computer) increases the risk of developing posterior pelvic pain during pregnancy.
Oftentimes the mother has experience episodes of back pain before. These mothers are more at risk to have post partum back pain. They usually have postural challenges like the so called ‘sway back’, the extended lumbar curvature. It is difficult to restore proper alignment after the birth.
But you don't have to grin and accept back pain as a normal part of your pregnancy. Learn the steps to manage and improve pregnancy - end the soreness. Wiep shows women how to relieve aches and pains, steps that will again be appreciated, when the back is bearing the strain of constantly lifting the baby or the 20 pound toddler.
Common causes of back pain during pregnancy
Why are pregnant women prone to
backaches and other pains?
Extra weight - your tummy muscles have to stretch in order to accommodate your growing baby. This means they can’t keep your pelvis in the correct position and the hollow in the small of your back is accentuated. The problem is also made worse because the ligaments that run between your lower vertebrae are softened. You gain as much as a quarter of your body weight (25 – 35 pounds).
Change in center of gravity. As your uterus grows, your center of gravity shifts forward. Gradually — and perhaps without notice — you begin to adjust your posture and the way you move. These compensations create strain on weight-bearing structures in the body and can lead to muscle weakness, stiffness, and achiness. You get also much easier tired, resulting in a further detoriation of your posture.
Your hormones. During pregnancy, the hormones relaxin and estrogen, cause the ligaments between your pelvic bones to soften and your joints to loosen in preparation for your baby's passage through your pelvis during birth. These hormonal shifts, along with you gaining weight and changing your posture, bring a loss of stability and strength.
Some women have "posterior pelvis pain," a discomfort across the buttocks related to weak muscles and loose ligaments. Pain usually starts in the second trimester when women experience a surge of relaxin, the hormone that helps ease various pelvic ligaments. Relaxin levels go up and down during pregnancy, but surge in the second trimester to expand the uterus for a growing baby and later for delivery. Researchers are still debating relaxin's precise role in provoking pain, but some studies confirm a connection between elevated levels of the hormone and increased discomfort.
With the average weight gain of pregnancy being 25-35 pounds, a woman's center of gravity shifts forward, stressing her spine and pelvis. At the same time, hormonal changes occur which prepare the uterus for childbirth. These hormones also cause the ligaments that support the spine and pelvis to relax so that the birth canal can widen, allowing the baby to pass out into the world. This relaxation of spinal ligaments results in a loss of spinal stability, thereby stressing the joints and muscles of the spine and causing back pain. These postural and hormonal changes can cause not only lower back pain, but may also result in upper back pain, neck pain and headaches. Ignoring these changes can lead to developing a pattern of chronic inflammation, lasting long after the pregnancy.
TIPS FOR DE-STRESSING YOUR BACK PAIN DURING PREGNANCY
You can take steps to stop the soreness. It's a good idea to learn these techniques now, because you'll probably need them again later when your back is bearing the strain of constantly lifting your 7- to 10-pound baby or your 20-pound toddler.
There are four things you can do which should help matters:
a) Have at least one Reconstructive Massage Therapy session with Wiep to learn how pregnancy is affecting your individual body and the best techniques for you and your baby’s ultimate health and comfort. Finding the appropriate body mechanics, exercises, or the right bodywork can break the pattern of stress in the musculo-skeletal structure.
b) When you are standing and walking, walk ‘tall’. At the same time, try and ‘cuddle’ your baby with your tummy muscles. Don’t wear shoes with high heels.
c) Be very careful how you pick things up from the floor – always go down on one knee, lift the object and get up with a straight back. (Even if you are picking up something light. This applies to feeding a washing machine, getting things out of a low cupboard etc.) If you have a dishwasher, put your partner on dishwasher duty as it is almost impossible to load and unload a dishwasher that stands on the floor without putting a strain on your lower back.
d) Try and lie down for an hour during the day, I’m not kidding. This is really important, not only for your back, but for your baby.
Often times the mother starts compensating for area of pain, which can aggravate the pains considerably. You are throwing your weight bearing joints off. Because she is pregnant, the mother-to-be must consider her treatment options carefully. Surgery and most drugs are not possible now, due to risk to the developing fetus. Even the usual over-the-counter drugs typically taken for back pain carry a risk of increased bleeding or may stress the liver and kidneys. Also, they tend to provide mild, temporary relief at best and do nothing to address the real cause of the problem.
Wiepcare for Women
Wiepcare for Women is particularly designed toward relieving mothers from the aches and pains that arise during or after pregnancy, so that an optimal level of function can be maintained.
Wiep offers FREE Assessments and Reconstructive Muscle Therapy treatments. The first step to lessening the pain is to understand the cause. Wiep helps women to find the chronic stress patterns held in the body that perpetuate the aches and pains. There might be a pelvic rotation, a slight scoliosis, a distortion in the shoulder girdle, or old injuries that start acting up during pregnancy.
All too frequently, birthing is accomplished through caesarian section. Women often feel very depleted afterwards, having gone through a high level of physical and mental stress. Many of these abdominal surgeries leave women with chronic pain due to scar tissue formation and trauma to the internal organs, which may be perpetuated by chronic muscle spasms from tissue damage and irritation.
Wiep’s RMT is highly specialized and the effects can reach far beyond a general pregnancy or postpartum massage. Her goal is to enhance postural alignment, through balancing out hypertonic and weakened muscles. The mother has a far easier time maintaining the “pelvic neutral” position and keeping muscle strength and balance in the lumbar and pelvic area.
Many massage modalities work with alleviating pain, not the underlying causes of that pain. Pain is an attention-grabbing sensation, and is how your body alerts you to a problem. However, pain is secondary to an possibly undetected primary problem. There are numerous methods to releasing endorphins – the body’s natural painkillers, that will mask the pain, decreasing sensitivity, and eventually making the underlying problem worse, because the primary problems are being masked.
Wiep applies a fingertip technique, as taught by Thomas Griner, DC to reestablish communications between the muscle and the brain by increasing nerve feedback sensitivity so the system can correct itself. RMT will inform your brain to allow your muscles to relax.
RMT addresses the build up of any fibrous matter, cellulite, lymphatic stagnation, which have resulted from postural stress and misalignment.
Wiep knows how to soften the tissues to the point where blood and oxygen flow and metabolic activity in the muscles can be restored very quickly.
Also, issues like tingling in the arms, sciatica, bursitis, frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated with RMT.
RMT is complimentary to chiropractic treatments. The muscular approach will actually help retain the benefits of chiropractic treatment for longer periods of time, or even help to heal the original cause of pain.