More and more women are turning to chiropractors for less invasive alternatives to alleviate pain during pregnancy, and for good reason. Pain is often an unfortunate attendant to pregnancy for many women, due to the body’s natural changes to prepare for birth, but chiropractic treatment shows many benefits to mitigate this issue.

As your baby grows inside you, your spine must adapt to the extra weight in your abdomen. Your spine must flex in a certain way so that you don’t fall forward as your belly grows. The inward curve of the spine sometimes referred to as the “lordotic curve,” becomes increasingly curved, which then affects the forward movement of the spine. The bones in your spine, the “vertebrae,” are no longer as flexible as they were before your pregnancy due to the changes in the lordotic curve. When you bend forward and then back, your spine is more extended. Weak abdominal muscles and a weak spine lead to the not-uncommon back pain of pregnancy.

The answer is emphatically, “yes!” Chiropractors obtain special training that specifically addresses the needs of pregnant women. The treatment you receive is not one-size-fits-all, all work we do is adjusted to your body and circumstance. When you first visit us, you will fill out a health questionnaire. This helps us assess how best to treat you. Special pillows and tables will be used to ensure your comfort during your adjustment. Since your joints and ligaments will already be loose, thanks to the hormone “relaxin,” the practitioner will use a lighter touch when realigning your joints and spine.

Chiropractic care is also used to help balance the pelvis allowing the baby to get into a better position for delivery. The Webster technique, which is used to flip a baby in the breech position, has a 90% success rate according to Larry Webster, the technique’s founder. Breech presentation occurs in around 4% of all pregnancies and can often lead to delivery via cesarean section. The Webster technique offers an alternative to the more invasive and painful external cephalic version that is often performed to correct a breech presentation.