Chiropractic and Pregnancy

moms-to-be graphic

Congratulations on Entering This Very Exciting Time of Your Life

baby sleeping peacefully

Chiropractors offer a conservative and holistic approach to treatment of pregnant women, without the use of any drug interventions. The plan is to alleviate the stresses and strains of pregnancy and to improve comfort for both mother and infant. A well aligned spine can surely help make pregnancy and delivery a lot more comfortable and easier for the Mom-to-Be.

Oasis Chiropractic Center offers a number of different treatment methods available for mom & baby including acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic care. Below, you will find a lot of information about the types of treatment methods we offer, what conditions can be helped, as well as the benefits that come from natural wellness care during pregnancy.


Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic treatment offers a safe, gentle and drug free alternative for the relief of discomfort experienced during pregnancy and can also play a very important role in ensuring that your body and spine are functioning properly. This can result in fewer aches and pains for the mother to be and more room for the developing baby so that both mother and baby can experience less physical and emotional stresses during they very important time. Also, by reducing the stresses and strains on the joints and muscles, normal daily activities can be continued throughout the nine months and many women find that labor is easier, shorter and less painful.

2. How Can Chiropractic Help during Pregnancy?

Before you become pregnant, your chiropractor can detect any imbalances in the pelvis or elsewhere in your body that could contribute to pregnancy discomfort or possible neuromusculoskeletal problems after childbirth.

Many pregnant women have found that chiropractic adjustments provide relief from the low-back pain brought on by pregnancy. Chiropractic care is also especially attractive to those who are trying to avoid medications in treating many symptoms associated with pregnancy. Chiropractors can also offer ergonomic, nutrition, stretching and exercise advice to help a women enjoy a healthy pregnancy.

Chiropractic care can also help post- childbirth. In the eight weeks following labor and delivery, the ligaments that loosened during pregnancy begin to tighten up again. Ideally, joint problems brought on during pregnancy from improper lifting or reaching should be treated before the ligaments return to their pre-pregnancy state-to prevent muscle tightness, headaches, joint pain ,neck and back pains, and lack of sleep. The restoration of your own health is very important for your own well being and for your ability to be present and feeling great to take care of your newborn baby.

3. Is it safe to go to a chiropractor while pregnant?

Not only is it safe to visit a chiropractor during your pregnancy, it’s also highly extremely beneficial. All chiropractors are specially trained to treat pregnant women, but not all specialize in prenatal or perinatal care. Dr. Starkman has specialized in prenatal and perinatal care for over 30 years. Getting regularly adjusted while pregnant is also a great way to relieve the added stress on your spine that comes along with the weight gain, commonly associated with pregnancy. It can also prevent sciatica, a leg pain and numbness or weakness that starts in the low back and travels down the sciatic nerve in the leg causing sciatica pain. It’s also important to maintain pelvic balance, which is often thrown off as your belly grows and your posture rapidly changes.

Besides making you feel better during pregnancy, getting regular chiropractic adjustments can also help control nausea, prevent a potential C-section and help the entire body work more effectively. In many cases it has even been linked to reducing the amount of time some mother’s spend in labor.

4. What are some Chiropractic benefits during pregnancy?

Many women seek chiropractic care to alleviate neck or back pain that can result from weight gain and changed biomechanics during pregnancy. But even if you’re not in pain, you can benefit from visiting a chiropractor. Chiropractic care during pregnancy maintains, and can even improve, balance and alignment in your spine and pelvis. This can help your baby assume her optimal birthing position and significantly reduce the risk of having a breech baby.

Regular chiropractic care can also provide a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery for both mother and baby. It stimulates the nervous system to allow proper functioning of your reproductive organs, thus supporting the needs of your baby throughout pregnancy and during the delivery process.

5. How often should I get adjusted during my pregnancy?

We suggest getting adjusted regularly as part of your new routine. This allows us to help your body adapt during this period of rapid change. Frequency of visits depends on your needs. The goal is to gently allow the body to relax and open as tension patterns melt away. Our office provides a welcoming environment that celebrates and honors the process of pregnancy.

6. Will I be comfortable during the adjustments?

Absolutely! We have special adjusting props and specialized tables for pregnancy, these tables have a midsection release ideal for pregnant women to create comfort and ease during your time here at Oasis Chiropractic. Your comfort is of utmost concern to us. As your body grows and changes, you will truly welcome your visits to our office.

7. Can chiropractic help alleviate backache due to pregnancy?

Pregnancy is an exciting time; however the changes in your body can definitely cause discomfort. Your new posture can strain the muscles of the back. Stress can also cause structures to tighten. Any of these can interfere with normal nerve conduction, resulting in pain. What’s more, the weight of the baby can sometimes press directly on nerve roots, irritating them and creating pain in any areas served by those nerves.

Back pain associated with pregnancy is common, affecting roughly half of all pregnant women. Relieving your back pain would help you enjoy this time a lot more, but naturally you don’t want to take any medications that can have a negative effect on you or your child. Luckily, Chiropractic is a safe way to relieve back pain!

Dr. Starkman understands how pregnancy affects the spine and nervous system, using safe, gentle adjustments designed specifically for use during pregnancy; he helps restore your nervous system to proper working order.

8. What about chiropractic care and breech deliveries?

The late Larry Webster, D.C., Founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), developed a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment which enables chiropractors to establish balance in the pregnant woman’s pelvis and reduce undue stress to her uterus and supporting ligaments. This balanced state in the pelvis has been clinically shown to allow for optimal fetal positioning. The technique is known as the Webster Technique.

It is considered normal by some for a baby to present breech until the third trimester. Most birth practitioners are not concerned with breech presentations until a patient is 37 weeks along. Approximately 4% of all pregnancies result in a breech presentation.

The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported in the July/August 2002 issue an 82% success rate of babies turning vertex when doctors of chiropractic used the Webster Technique. Further, the results from the study suggest that it may be beneficial to perform the Webster Technique as soon as the 8th month of pregnancy when a woman has a breech presentation.

Currently, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) recommends that women receive chiropractic care throughout pregnancy to establish pelvic balance and optimize the room a baby has for development throughout pregnancy. With a balanced pelvis, babies have a greater chance of moving into the correct position for birth, and the crisis and worry associated with breech and posterior presentations may be avoided altogether. Optimal baby positioning at the time of birth also eliminates the potential for dystocia (difficult labor) and therefore results in easier and safer deliveries for both the mother and baby.


Once you’ve taken the time to experience and understand the benefits of chiropractic during pregnancy, it will become evident that Chiropractic Care is an essential and important part of your prenatal care.

“Chiropractic adjustments are one of the greatest gifts you can give to your baby,
What greater gift than the gift of health?”

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