Menu
Menu
Prenatal and postnatal care involves specialized treatments and therapies designed to support women before and after childbirth. These therapies help manage discomfort, ensure a healthy pregnancy, and aid in post-baby recovery and include:
Pregnancy brings about significant changes in a woman’s body, affecting her skeletal system, hormonal balance, and overall health. Ensuring proper care during the prenatal and postnatal periods is crucial to address conditions like:
The dedicated physical therapists at Hobson Institute understand the importance of women’s pelvic health during this transformative journey.
Prenatal care focuses on the well-being of expectant mothers, addressing issues such as back pain, posture, and joint health. It aims to maintain comfort and mobility throughout pregnancy. Hobson Institute offers a range of treatments, including:
Assess your health and habits. Do you snore? Are you a smoker? Do you exercise regularly? Are you overweight? Do you have high blood pressure? Consider embarking on a healthier path before becoming pregnant.
Our skilled physical therapists can assist in expediting your return to your pre-baby body.
Through a comprehensive evaluation, we’ll identify areas of concern, including core weakness and body imbalances. If you’ve undergone a C-section and are experiencing scar tissue thickness, we can help mobilize and address this issue effectively.
Furthermore, if you’re facing challenges with nursing, such as your baby having difficulty latching onto the breast and nipple, or if your baby’s mouth remains in an open position while awake or asleep, our specialized physical therapists are ready to provide valuable guidance.
Hobson Institute provides comprehensive services, including:
Michelle, a 34-year-old woman with a history of chronic pain due to past injuries, found relief through Hobson Institute’s specialized care. Her treatment plan during pregnancy included optimizing pelvic and hip alignment, postural retraining, and strengthening exercises. Michelle successfully navigated her pregnancy, crediting her positive experience to the comprehensive care provided by Hobson Institute’s physical therapists.
Back pain or discomfort is a prevalent concern during pregnancy, affecting 50 to 70 percent of expectant mothers. Factors such as pre-existing back pain and being overweight can heighten the risk of experiencing back pain during this period. Back pain may manifest at any stage of pregnancy, but it often becomes more pronounced in the later months as the baby grows.
The impact of back pain can disrupt your daily activities and even lead to sleep disturbances. Fortunately, Hobson Institute’s experienced physical therapists specialize in helping you effectively manage and alleviate back pain throughout your pregnancy.
Back pain or discomfort is common during pregnancy and should be expected to some degree by most women. Back pain may be experienced during any point of your pregnancy; however, it most commonly occurs later in pregnancy as the baby grows.
Back pain can disrupt your daily routine or interfere with a good night of sleep. The good news is there are steps you can take to manage the back pain that you experience
It’s essential to recognize how pregnancy can influence snoring tendencies. If you were already a snorer before becoming pregnant, it’s likely that snoring may intensify as your body experiences weight gain during pregnancy. This increased snoring can potentially lead to sleep apnea, which, in turn, may have adverse effects on your developing baby.
At Hobson Institute, our team of physical therapists are here to help. We provide guidance and simple throat exercises designed to enhance your airway space and reduce snoring, promoting a healthier and more comfortable pregnancy experience for both you and your baby.
New research suggests that approximately one quarter of pregnant women may experience Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the recurrent cessation or limitation of normal breathing during sleep. OSA can contribute to daytime fatigue, the development of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and heart disease. Unfortunately, OSA is underdiagnosed and frequently untreated in pregnant women.
Gestational Sleep Apnea (GSA) represents a proposed diagnosis aimed at recognizing, diagnosing, and addressing Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) specifically in pregnant women. It aligns with other temporary diagnoses associated with pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus.
Daytime fatigue, often attributed to the natural rigors of pregnancy, can be a symptom of sleep apnea. Unfortunately, this condition is sometimes overlooked due to its perceived transience, leading physicians and patients to dismiss it as a concern. Diagnosis typically involves an overnight sleep study, although the recent shift towards home sleep studies offers new avenues for identifying GSA.
We encourage you to consider an evaluation with a specialized physical therapist at Hobson Institute for a comprehensive assessment of your breathing and airway health. Our expertise in this area can help ensure a healthy and restful pregnancy experience.
Snoring can be a telltale sign of a more serious issue, sleep apnea, which can deprive both your brain and body of oxygen, potentially affecting your developing baby negatively. Additionally, mouth breathing is associated with sleep disorders and sleep apnea. It’s important to note that snoring and sleep disturbances are also linked to high blood pressure in pregnant women.
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which encompasses conditions like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for adverse outcomes in both the mother and fetus during pregnancy. The physiological changes that occur during pregnancy can make women more susceptible to SDB. This susceptibility is compounded by the rising incidence of OSA in pregnancy, which coincides with the growing obesity rates in the population.
Common screening tools, such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), which are effective in non-pregnant individuals, often fall short in identifying SDB during pregnancy. Conditions like preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are closely associated with SDB. Preeclampsia and OSA share certain pathological ties, though it remains uncertain if one directly leads to the other.
Fetal morbidity can include intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm delivery, low birth weight, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, and an Apgar score of less than seven at one minute after birth. While continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been proven as an effective treatment for SDB in pregnancy, early diagnosis and intervention are paramount in mitigating potential risks. At Hobson Institute, we’re committed to helping you understand and address these concerns for a healthier pregnancy journey.
Are you concerned about snoring before or during pregnancy? Our specialized physical therapists at Hobson Institute can assess your unique needs. They’ll evaluate your breathing mechanics, the size of your tongue and throat airway, the position of your tongue, overall posture, cervical spine (neck) alignment, and joint mobility. This thorough assessment will help us determine the most effective strategies for managing your snoring.
We offer a range of approaches, including manual therapy, postural and breathing retraining, myofunctional therapy, and the Buteyko Breathing Method, all tailored to your specific situation. By addressing snoring proactively, we aim to ensure a restful and healthy pregnancy journey for you and your developing baby.
Good airflow in the bedroom is best. Warmer temperatures in the bedroom or home can promote breathing with a larger volume than normal. Back sleeping is not recommended for several reasons, but it also contributes to the mouth and tongue being more likely to open and fall back into the throat. Keeping the spine and airway in good alignment can help optimize your breathing during sleep.
If you’ve undergone a C-Section procedure that has resulted in the development of thick scar tissue, our experienced physical therapists at Hobson Institute can provide effective solutions. Dry needling is a technique we use to release scar tissue, employing thin needles to soften and alleviate adherence within the scar.
By releasing this scar tissue, we enable you to restore core strength after pregnancy. An untreated, adhered scar can restrict the functionality and strength of muscles below it. Moreover, we’ve observed that improving the flexibility of the C-Section scar can lead to enhanced diaphragmatic breathing, ensuring optimal diaphragm function. At Hobson Institute, we’re dedicated to supporting your post-pregnancy recovery and overall well-being.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment (312-986-9833).
