Is Chiropractic Care Safe During Pregnancy? What the Research Says
Pregnancy asks a lot of your body. As your center of gravity shifts, your ligaments loosen, and your spine and pelvis adapt to carry and prepare for your growing baby, it’s completely normal to feel new aches, tightness, and discomfort you’ve never experienced before. A common question we hear from expecting moms in Whitefish is simple: is it actually safe to see a chiropractor while pregnant?
In our office, we commonly see women throughout their pregnancy, and one of the most common questions we get is, “when should i start seeing a chiropractor?” Our answer: as soon as you find out you’re pregnant! Even better? BEFORE pregnancy if you can! The more we can bring balance and ease to your nervous system, typically the easier the pregnancy is!
Why Pregnancy Puts Extra Strain on Your Spine and Pelvis
During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone called relaxin, which loosens ligaments throughout your pelvis in preparation for delivery. At the same time, your growing belly shifts your posture forward, changing the curve of your lower back and putting new pressure on your hips, sacrum, and low back. This combination is why so many pregnant women experience:
Low back and hip pain
Sciatica or nerve pain down the leg
Pelvic instability or a feeling of “looseness”
Rib and mid-back tension as the ribcage expands
Difficulty finding a comfortable sleeping position
Many women start to feel more of the aches and pains during their second trimester, but we commonly see that the women who see us before pregnancy, or at the very beginning of their pregancy, experiencing these aches and pains later in their pregnancy, and with less intensity/
Chiropractic care doesn’t try to override what your body is naturally doing during pregnancy. Instead, it works to keep your spine and pelvis functioning well through those changes, so your nervous system and body can adapt with less pain and less compensation.
What the Research Shows
A growing body of research supports chiropractic care as a safe, conservative option throughout pregnancy for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Studies have found that a majority of pregnant patients receiving chiropractic care report improvement in pregnancy-related low back and pelvic pain, with very low rates of adverse events reported in the literature. Because chiropractic adjustments are drug-free and non-invasive, many women appreciate having an option that supports pain relief without medication during pregnancy.
We have a deep dive into pregnancy based research on our website, on topics such as:
Labor & Chiropractic
Postpartum Depression & Chiropractic
Prenatal Heartburn & Chiropractic
Pregnancy Related Numbness & Chiropractic
Round Ligament Pain & Chiropractic
Breech Positioning & Labor
Read more about these, here
Why We Use the Webster Technique
At Two Sparrows, our prenatal care is built around the Webster Technique, a specific, gentle chiropractic approach designed for pregnancy. Rather than using generic adjustments, the Webster Technique focuses on:
Reducing tension in the ligaments that support the uterus
Balancing the pelvis and sacrum
Supporting optimal positioning for baby as delivery approaches
It’s a widely respected technique within prenatal chiropractic specifically because it’s tailored to what’s actually happening in a pregnant body, not a one-size-fits-all adjustment.
What to Expect at a Prenatal Visit
If you’ve never seen a chiropractor before, or you’re wondering whether prenatal chiropractic feels different from a standard adjustment, here’s what’s different:
A pregnancy-specific intake. We ask about your trimester, symptoms, and any complications so care is tailored to exactly where you are.
Comfortable positioning. We use pillows and pregnancy-specific tables so you’re never lying flat on your stomach.
Gentle, modified adjustments. Techniques are adapted specifically for pregnancy — this isn’t the same force or approach used for a general adult adjustment.
A whole-pregnancy approach. Many patients continue care from early pregnancy through delivery, and some return post-delivery for postpartum care as their body recovers.
When Should You Start Prenatal Chiropractic Care?
There’s no single “right” time to start — some women come in as soon as they find out they’re pregnant, others start when discomfort begins in the second or third trimester. Because relaxin and postural changes build throughout pregnancy, starting earlier can help your body adapt more comfortably as your pregnancy progresses, but it’s never too late to benefit from care.
What the Research Actually Shows
A number of published studies have looked specifically at chiropractic care during pregnancy, and the overall pattern in the literature is consistent: adverse events are rare, and many women report meaningful improvement in pregnancy-related musculoskeletal pain. Because pregnancy naturally excludes certain chiropractic techniques (like high-velocity thrusts to certain areas) and because reputable prenatal providers modify their approach specifically for pregnancy, the safety profile looks different — and generally more favorable — than people sometimes assume from picturing a standard adult adjustment.
Common Misconceptions Worth Addressing
“Any manipulation could harm the baby.” Properly modified prenatal adjustments target the mother’s spine and pelvis, not the abdomen, and use significantly less force in relevant areas than a general adult adjustment.
“You should wait until after the baby is born.” For most women, starting earlier means more time for the body to adapt gradually, rather than trying to catch up to discomfort later in pregnancy.
“It’s the same as a regular adjustment, just gentler.” Prenatal-specific techniques like the Webster Technique are built around pregnancy anatomy specifically, not simply a toned-down version of general adult care.
Talking to Your OB or Midwife
Most OBs and midwives are familiar with and supportive of chiropractic care as a complementary option during pregnancy, particularly for common complaints like back pain. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or specific complications, it’s worth a quick conversation before starting, simply so everyone on your care team is on the same page.
Understanding “Adverse Events” in the Research
When researchers describe chiropractic care as having a low rate of adverse events during pregnancy, it’s worth understanding what that phrase actually covers — typically things like transient soreness or mild discomfort following an adjustment, distinct from anything posing risk to the pregnancy itself. Serious adverse events specifically tied to properly performed prenatal chiropractic care are exceptionally rare in the published literature, which is part of why major reviews of the evidence have generally concluded favorably on safety.
How Prenatal-Specific Training Changes the Risk Profile
The safety data on chiropractic care during pregnancy largely reflects care provided by practitioners using techniques specifically modified for pregnancy — not a general adult adjustment performed without modification on a pregnant patient. This distinction matters when evaluating safety claims, since a provider without prenatal-specific training may not apply the same modifications a Webster-certified or otherwise prenatal-trained chiropractor would.
Ready to Feel Better Through Your Pregnancy?
Dr. Jordan Fennelly is Webster-certified and has helped many Whitefish-area moms have more comfortable pregnancies and smoother deliveries. If you’re pregnant and dealing with back pain, hip pain, or just want proactive care as your body changes, we’d love to help.
Book your prenatal chiropractic visit online or call us at (406) 249-6312.
Sources
Stuber, K. J., & Wynd, S. (2012). Adverse events from spinal manipulation in the pregnant and postpartum periods: a critical review of the literature. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies. Available at: https://chiromt.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2045-709X-20-8
Weis, C. A., Stuber, K., Murnaghan, K., & Wynd, S. (2021). Adverse events from spinal manipulations in the pregnant and postpartum periods: a systematic review and update. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 65(1), 32–49.
Conner, S. N., Trudell, A. S., & Conner, C. A. (2021). Chiropractic Care for the Pregnant Body. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 64(3), 602–610.
This article is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please talk with your OB or midwife about your specific pregnancy before beginning any new form of care.
This article is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice.
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