Chiropractic and Pregnancy 215 - 217

Course overview

Hour 1 *Utilize a more comprehensive knowledge of primitive birth practices and outcomes in a clinical consultation setting with a prenatal patient. *Integrate a deeper understanding of the contextual nature of women's attitudes toward childbirth in the 17th Century as a continuum between more primitive and modern birth. *Describe the key environmental factors that negatively impacted childbirth outcomes in the 16-20th Centuries. *Describe the impact of the lithotomy position on birth outcomes. *Analyze the significance of the puerperal fever epidemic of the 19th Century and its iatrogenic origins. Hour 2 *Describe the state of obstetrical practice and performance in the late 19th and early 20th Century. *Describe the state of midwifery practice and performance in the late 19th and early 20th Century. *Communicate the three elements of the DeLee protocols and how they each impacted childbirth outcomes in the early 20th Century. *Analyze the current state of maternity care in the United States in the context of the industrialized world. *Utilize the information concerning the history of the emergence of universally medicalized childbirth to empower patients to advocate for their optimal birth experience. Hour 3 *Describe the three primary tangents from indigenous birth experiences that the development of agrarian and industrial societies generated. *Describe the origins of the early pioneers of natural childbirth in America in the 1940s-1970s. *Communicate the relationship between economic and industrial considerations and the development of universal obstetric intervention in childbirth in the U.S. *Analyze the concept of 'pasmo' as it relates to the effect of the external environment on a laboring woman. *Communicate the current evidence comparing home and hospital births in terms of safety and efficacy. Hour 4 *Evaluate the evidence for chiropractic care for pregnancy-related low back pain and pelvic girdle pain. *Assess the effectiveness of treatments within the chiropractic scope of practice for low back pain, pelvic girdle pain, or combination pain during the postpartum period. *Summarize best-practice recommendations for chiropractic care of pregnant and postpartum patients. Hour 5 *Summarize the three stages of pregnancy. *Recognize common pregnancy abbreviations. *List the benefits of exercise during pregnancy. *Explain how the hormones, relaxin and hCG, can impact physical activity. *Design a subjective and history taking examination for a pregnant patient. *Complete a physical examination on a pregnant patient including common complaints such as pelvic girdle pain and low back pain. *Assess patient positions to ensure comfort and safety during physical assessments and/or rehabilitation. *Recognize when to refer a pregnant patient to another specialty for evaluation and treatment. *Identify pelvic health dysfunction and determine appropriate referral. Hour 6 *Differentiate between low back pain and pelvic girdle pain. *Address low back pain, pelvic girdle pain and pelvic floor dysfunction in a pregnant patient. *Discuss appropriate supportive devices for back pain, pelvic girdle pain and lower extremity edema. *Recognize alternative non-analgesic methods of pain relief through massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. *Assess sleep positions to reduce hip and back discomfort. *Identify red flags while treating a pregnant patient. *List contraindicated treatment modalities for the pregnant patient.