A prenatal chiropractor treats the back and pelvic pain that can come with pregnancy, using gentle hands-on care adapted to a body that changes week to week. Care centers on the joints, muscles, and ligaments that take on extra strain as your baby grows.
If your lower back aches by midafternoon, your hips stiffen after an hour at your desk, or you find yourself bracing before you stand up from the couch, it is reasonable to wonder whether chiropractic care is safe right now and what a visit would involve.
Can You Go to the Chiropractor While Pregnant?
Generally, yes. Seeing a chiro during pregnancy is an option once your OB or midwife agrees. The Mayo Clinic lists chiropractic treatment among the complementary therapies that some studies suggest might help with back pain during pregnancy, and it advises making sure the chiropractor knows you are pregnant.
That approval matters because your OB or midwife knows the details of your pregnancy and can flag anything that would change how you should be treated.
Why Does Pregnancy Cause Back and Pelvic Pain?
Several body changes drive this pain, including weight gain, a center of gravity that shifts forward, and abdominal muscles that stretch and weaken. To keep from tipping forward, you may start leaning back, and that posture can strain the muscles of your lower back.
In the pelvis, a hormone called relaxin loosens the ligaments of the joint where your two pubic bones meet, the Cleveland Clinic explains, and your body may start producing it as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy. That extra looseness helps prepare the pelvis for birth, but it can also let the joint move more than is comfortable. When that movement causes pain, it is called symphysis pubis dysfunction or pelvic girdle pain, and it affects about 1 in 4 people during pregnancy.
Pelvic girdle pain can feel like mild discomfort at the front of the pelvis, a loose or wobbly sensation, or a sudden shooting pain, and it can get worse when you climb stairs, turn over in bed, get in and out of the car, or stand on one leg.
What Does a Pregnancy Chiropractor Treat?
Along with lower back and pelvic girdle pain, a pregnancy chiropractor, sometimes called a maternity chiro, may also help with sciatic pain. For pelvic girdle pain, chiropractic care is one of several options, alongside physical therapy, massage, and acupuncture, that can help with movement and relieve pain.
Sciatic pain can run from the lower back through the buttocks and into one or both legs. If you had back problems before pregnancy, both sciatic pain and pelvic girdle pain become more likely, and a past pelvic injury raises the pelvic girdle risk as well, so mention that history when you come in. For an overview of how our practice approaches pregnancy, visit our chiropractic care during pregnancy page.
What Happens at a First Prenatal Chiropractic Visit?
A first visit with a prenatal chiropractor starts with a conversation, not an adjustment. Expect questions about how far along you are, who is managing your pregnancy, where the pain sits, and which movements set it off. Along with that history, a first visit includes a physical exam and a screening before any adjustment to confirm that chiropractic care fits your situation.
The exam itself can check for tenderness or swelling and how easily you move your hips and lower back. If imaging is ever needed, your provider should choose a method that is safe during pregnancy.
Ask how you will be positioned and supported during treatment, and speak up the moment any position feels uncomfortable.
How Does a Prenatal Chiropractor Ease Pregnancy Pain?
Adjustments from a prenatal chiropractor aim to restore motion to stiff joints in the spine, pelvis, and hips, with the goal of easing pain and improving range of motion. Soft tissue therapy relaxes tight muscles and releases tension in the surrounding connective tissue. Exercises and stretches can help protect the pelvis and add stability to joints that relaxin has loosened.
Between visits, guidance from your chiropractor can cover lifting by bending your knees instead of your waist, choosing low-heeled supportive shoes over flats or high heels, and avoiding twisting motions that strain an already sensitive pelvis. If you want to keep exercising, low-impact options like swimming may feel gentler on a sore pelvis than cycling or weight-bearing workouts. At night, sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees can take strain off your back and pelvis, and a heating pad on its lowest setting, wrapped in a towel, can soothe sore muscles.
Mild soreness in the treated areas can follow a session, though it usually fades within 24 hours.
When Should You Call Your OB or Midwife First?
Call your OB or midwife right away if back pain comes with vaginal bleeding, fever, cramping or contractions, or burning during urination, since these can point to preterm labor or a urinary tract infection.
Contact them as well if your back pain is serious, lasts longer than two weeks, or follows a fall or injury, or if pelvic pain starts interfering with daily life. Expect a prenatal chiropractor to ask about these warning signs and to send you back for medical care if any appear.
Prenatal Chiropractor FAQ
Does pelvic girdle pain mean labor is getting close?
No. Pelvic girdle pain does not signal that labor is near or progressing. It can feel that way, because the pain often grows more intense as delivery approaches, when the baby is at its heaviest and putting the most pressure on the pelvic joints. A sharper ache late in pregnancy more likely reflects that added weight than a sign that your body is getting ready to deliver.
Will pelvic girdle pain go away after the baby is born?
For most people, yes. Once the body stops producing relaxin and the ligaments tighten again, the pain tends to subside within a few months of giving birth. If it lingers after that, check with your doctor to rule out another cause.
Do I need bed rest for pelvic girdle pain?
Usually not. Pelvic girdle pain should not require bed rest, since most people can manage the pain well enough to stay up and moving.
Should I keep walking if my pelvis hurts?
In most cases, yes. The benefits of walking typically outweigh the risks, though if walking worsens your pain you may need to change how often you walk, where you go, or which shoes you wear.
Do pregnancy support belts help?
A support belt might help, though research on these belts is mixed and some pregnant people find the extra support useful. If you try one, bring it to a prenatal appointment so your provider can show you how to position it.
Feel at Home in Your Body Again
There is a lot to look forward to in the months ahead, and back or pelvic pain does not have to take center stage.
Dr. Scott Sawyer, a Santa Cruz native in active practice since 1996, tailors each care plan to the person receiving it, so yours will be built around your pregnancy and your symptoms. Bring whatever your OB or midwife has shared with you so their guidance shapes your care.
If you are ready to see a prenatal chiropractor, call or text (831) 457-2000, reach us through our contact page, or book a new patient appointment online. Sawyer Chiropractic Group is located at 700 River St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060, and offers same-day appointments.