Services
Pregnancy chiropractic
Reviewed by Dr Voula Roumel, Chiropractor , registered since 1987, AHPRA CHI0000942872
Last updated
Pregnancy changes how the body carries load, and it does so quickly. Weight shifts forward, the centre of gravity moves, ligaments soften under hormonal change, and the pelvis and lower back take the difference.
Some people go through all of that comfortably. Others find the lower back, the pelvis or the sacroiliac joints become genuinely limiting, most often from the second trimester onward.
Dr Kenneth Taylor leads pregnancy care here. He is certified in the Webster Technique, and midwives, obstetricians and other practitioners refer patients to him for it specifically.
What changes during pregnancy
- Ligament laxity, which allows more movement through the pelvis than usual
- A forward shift in load as the pregnancy progresses, increasing the demand on the lower back
- Pelvic and sacroiliac loading, commonly felt as one-sided pain low down at the back
- Pubic symphysis discomfort at the front of the pelvis, often worst rolling over in bed or getting out of a car
- Rib and upper back tightness later on, as the ribcage accommodates
- Postnatal loads afterwards, feeding positions, carrying, and a body that has adapted over nine months
How the appointment is adapted
Not the same treatment applied to a pregnant patient, a different approach:
- Positioning. Mostly side-lying with support. The tables here adjust to accommodate a growing abdomen. Nobody will ask you into a position that is uncomfortable, and if something does not feel right it changes.
- Force. Lower-force technique, chosen for a body where ligaments are already more mobile than usual.
- The Webster Technique, where indicated, a specific assessment and adjustment of the pelvis and its associated soft tissue.
- Soft tissue work through the lower back, glutes and hips, which frequently does more than anything else late in a pregnancy.
- Exercises and practical advice on sleeping positions, getting in and out of a car, and how to sit at a desk at 30 weeks.
Before you book
Tell reception you are pregnant and how far along, so you are matched to the right chiropractor. Tell the chiropractor about any complications, placenta praevia, pre-eclampsia, a history of preterm labour, bleeding, or anything your midwife or obstetrician is monitoring.
None of those automatically rules out care. They change what is appropriate, which is exactly why the chiropractor needs to know before the assessment rather than after it.
Chiropractic care sits alongside your maternity care, not instead of it. Keep your midwife or obstetrician informed, and go to them or to a hospital first for anything obstetric, bleeding, reduced fetal movement, severe headache with visual changes, regular contractions before term, or fluid loss. If you contact the clinic with any of those you will be told the same thing and helped to get seen.
Related
Lower back pain and sciatica cover the same regions outside pregnancy. For children after the birth, see paediatric chiropractic.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy answers the questions that come up most often before a first appointment, trimester by trimester.
Frequently asked questions
Is chiropractic care safe during pregnancy?
Technique is adapted for pregnancy rather than being the same treatment applied to a pregnant patient, different positioning, different force, and a table that adjusts to accommodate a growing abdomen. Dr Kenneth Taylor is certified in the Webster Technique and sees pregnant patients routinely. As with any care in pregnancy, tell your midwife or obstetrician what you are doing, and tell the chiropractor about your pregnancy and any complications before your first appointment.
How do I lie on the table?
Side-lying for most of it, with support, and the tables here adjust to accommodate a growing abdomen. Nobody will ask you to lie face-down in a way that is uncomfortable. If a position does not feel right, say so and it changes, comfort in the moment is not a small thing at 34 weeks.
What is the Webster Technique?
A specific chiropractic assessment and adjustment of the pelvis and its associated soft tissue, used in pregnancy to address restriction and muscular tension in the pelvis. It is a technique applied to the mother's pelvis. Dr Kenneth Taylor is certified in it, and midwives, obstetricians and other practitioners refer patients to him for it specifically.
When in pregnancy can I start?
Any stage. Some patients come in the first trimester, many arrive in the second or third when the load changes noticeably, and some come afterwards for postnatal recovery. Tell reception you are pregnant and how far along when you book, so you are matched to the right chiropractor.
Can I come in after the birth?
Yes, and plenty do. The postnatal period brings its own loads, feeding positions, carrying, and a body that has spent nine months adapting. There is no fixed point at which it is appropriate to start; the chiropractor will ask about your birth and recovery at the assessment.
Ready to book?
Appointments Monday to Saturday, with confirmation by SMS.