Pubic bone pain in pregnancy is also know as Pubic Symphysis Diastasis.  The hormone relaxin causes the pelvis, particularly at the pubic bone, to loosen as the baby grows. Relaxin is a good thing because it makes birth easier for mom and baby. Sometimes the separation is exaggerated and can become quite painful.

You may notice this pain when rolling over in bed, walking, standing or trying to move your legs apart like stepping into pants or the car. Most of the pain is typically centered up front in the pubic bone area. Some typical symptoms are pinpoint pain at the pubic bone, groin muscle pain to the sides of the pubic bone sometimes shooting down the inside of the thigh.  When the public bone is misaligned (or subluxated) it can also cause referral pain into the sacroiliac joint (located in your low back along the area where you would have a seam on your pants pocket).

Treatment by a chiropractor will realign the pelvis and Pubic Symphysis thereby relieving the sharp stabbing and shooting pains. Chiropractic is safe and gentle for Mom and the baby and relief is usually felt immediately.  Dr. Julia Mason specializes in Pubic Symphysis Diastasis. You do not need to suffer from this pain. Get treatment by Dr. Mason today.

# 1: Partially Hydrogenated Oil
Semi-solid shortening made from liquid oils (such as canola and soybean) by reacting them with hydrogen.  It contains high levels of trans fats.  It gives baked goods and snacks a longer shelf life.  It is used in more than 40,000 food products in the U.S. according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).  Trans fats increase harmful LDL cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol; both effects contribute to heart disease.

#2: Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)
BVO is an additive created by mixing vegetable oil with the element bromine.  It gives the flavoring oils in soda the same density as water.  The emulsified flavor oils stay suspended in the drink, boosting flavor in many citric-based fruit and soft drinks.  It causes a significant increase of triglyceride and cholesterol content in both heart and liver.  Residues accumulate in the body fat, damaging organs, including heart, liver, thyroid, testicles and kidneys.

#3: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
HFCS was developed in the 1070s because it was cheaper than cane and beet sugar.  It's easier to blend into beverages, maintains sweetness better, prevents freezer burn, reduces crystallization, keeps baked goods soft and helps them brown.  With a high glycemic index, it converts to fat more readily than any other sugar.  It alters the metabolic rate in a way that favors fat storage.  Research suggests that it is a major factor of obesity.  It increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, strokes, and cancer.  It's NOT easily metabolized by the liver.

#4: Artificial Colors & Flavorings
Artificial colors are chemical compounds made mainly from coal-tar derivatives.  Food coloring is used to give color, lost during processing, back to food to make it more attractive.  It has been linked to allergic reactions, asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity, headaches and fatigue.  Artificial flavors are cheaply produced chemical mixtures that mimic a natural flavor.  They are also linked to numerous sensitivities.

#5: Benzoate Preservatives: BHT, BHA, TBHQ
Benzoates are antioxidants normally used as sodium, potassium or calcium salts and their derivatives.  Benzoate preservatives are phenolic compounds often added to foods to preserve fats and prevent the fats from becoming rancid; also used as a de-foaming agent.  It is often used in cereals, butter, meats, baked goods, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes and feer.  It can result in hyperactivity, asthma, urticaria, rhinitis, dermatitis and angiodema.  It is believed to cause tumors in lab rats.  Benzoate presevaties are (weakly) estrogenic!

#6: Caffeine
Caffeine is a mildly additive stimulant.  It increases heartbeat, respiration, basil metabolic rate, gastro enteric reflexes and production of stomach acit and urine.  It affects the kidneys, increasing urination, which can lead to dehydration.  It is metabolized by the liver.  It can lead to osteoporosis, infertility, heart disease, jitteriness, headaches, irritability, sleeplessness, possible birth defects and depression.

 #7: Artificial Sweeteners
Acesulfame-K: commonly used in sugar-free baked goods, chewing gum, gelatin desserts and soft drinks.  It may be carcinogenic.  Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet): can cause sensitivities resulting in headaches, dizziness, and hallucinations.  Saccharin: has resulted in cancer of the uterus, ovaries, skin, blood vessels and other organs in lab rats. It may cause bladder cancer.  Sucralose (Splenda): artificial sweetener used mainly in diet foods.  It is made by chemically reacting sugar with chlorine.  Sorbitol: a sweetener used as a thickening agent.  It maintains moisture in dietetic drinks, foods, candy, shredded coconut and chewing gum.  It commonly has a laxative effect.

#8: MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
MSG is an amino acid flavor enhancer.  Flavor enhancers are believed to stimulate the appetite, contributing to obesity.  It is used mainly in restaurant food, salad dressing, chiops, frozen entrees, soup and chips.  Sensitivities to MSG include headaches, nauses, weakness, wheezing, edema, change in heart rate, burning sensation and difficulty breathing.  Flavor enhancers destroyed nerve cells in mice.

#9: Olestra
Olestra is an indigestible fat substitute used mainly in foods that are fried and baked.  It is a non-absorbable lipid-like substance that inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients.  It is linked to gastrointestinal disease, diarrhea, gas, cramps, bleeding, anal leakage and incontinence.  Olestra can collect and assimilate fat-soluble vitamins present in other foods, reducing their ability to be absorbed.  Long-term use of Olestra can reduce fat-soluble vitamin (including #, A, D and K) absorption.

#10: Sodium Nitrite and Nitrate
Preservatives used to preserving, coloring and flavoring cured meats and fish.  They prevent botulism and are a color fixative.  Nitrities/nitrates can combine with chemicals in the stomach to form nitrosamine, a highly carcinogenic substance.

Out of the blue, your back starts to hurt and at first it's just an annoyance. You feel you can live with it. You've had lower back pain before and it went away on its own. Now it's a few weeks later. You've got a low-grade pain that's not getting any better. It's actually getting worse. What to do? You don't want to run to a doctor. After all, it's just back pain. Everybody has back pain don't they? So you begin to solicit advice from your friends. And, of course, your friends have plenty of advice. "Do these exercises my doctor gave me, do these stretches - they worked for me, go to yoga class, I know a great Pilates instructor, take vitamins and drink more water and meditate."

Your friends mean well and it's all very good advice but none of it seems to work. Another month goes by and now the pain is increasing. It's even affecting your sleep. It's time to see a doctor but which one? For the most part, medical physicians are not experts on back pain. Typical recommendations include rest, moist heat, and anti-inflammatory medication.  But really you've done all that. You need more specific advice.  Choices might include doctors of chiropractic, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists.

Many orthopedic surgeons are spinal specialists, but what they do is surgery. This would be a last resort, typically, after other treatment options have failed. Physical therapists are highly skilled practitioners who focus on exercise, rehabilitation, and re-training. They are not primary care providers and typically patients are referred to physical therapists by family physicians, chiropractors, and orthopedic surgeons. Doctors of chiropractic are spinal specialists and what we have to offer is expert conservative therapy.  We treat back related problems all day, every day, and are the right doctor to see first.  As spinal specialists, we receive extensive training in evaluating patients with back pain. We consider all aspects of the problem and develop sound treatment plans based on the facts. If a person does not respond as anticipated, we have a "Plan B" in place for further evaluation and possible referral.

When choosing a doctor, you're allowed to ask questions and participate in the process. The strategy for follow-up is critically important. First, if you're improving and doing well, we will can you help keep the problem from recurring. We will prescribe stretches, exercises, and other self-care action steps to help you keep yourself well.  And, we will refer you to another specialist if your problem and pain are not improving.  Chiropractic treatment is a powerful tool in most cases of back pain. Symptoms should begin to improve quickly within the first 1-12 visits. We will outline the "Plan B" if you are, in fact, not getting better. Take the concervative approach to healing back pain and give chiropractic a try.