During pregnancy, there is a major change that occurs to the posture of the mother as a result of her increased body weight. It is this alteration in posture that may be a cause of her headache.
The spine does not remain static during the 9 months. As the uterus grows the lumber spine starts to flatten followed by extending and then flattening again slightly. The ribs too are expected to flare out as the uterus pushes up onto the abdominal organs causing some crowding. These changes that occur result in the neck having to adjust, accommodating in such as way so as to keep the head up straight so that our sensory organs can function efficiently.
The increase in breast tissue and the increase in size of the uterus cause the shoulders and neck to be dragged forward. In order to compensate, the mother recruits muscles in her neck to raise the head up. Since the head is pulled away from the center of gravity the muscles at the base of the head have to work over-time and eventually fatigue and become painful.
Osteopathy can relieve this problem by applying gentle but accurate manual techniques to the mother’s body. Emphasis is placed by the osteopath on relieving tension in the muscles and joints of the spine although not exclusively as attention is also paid to peripheral joint even as far as the feet in certain cases. The purpose of this type of treatment is to help the mother’s body adapt well to the postural changes and relieve the burden from the headache inducing muscles.