Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe for Pregnant Women with Back Pain?

A pregnant woman will do just about anything to ensure the safe and healthy development of her baby.  So when she experiences back pain during pregnancy, she will often deal with the pain because she doesn't want to take medications that could harm the baby.  The mom to be may even consult with her OB-Gyne who may recommend some stretching, heat or ice.  But what if that doesn’t alleviate her back pain?

Many women simply suffer through the pain throughout their pregnancy because they don’t know that there is another answer to ease their pain: Chiropractic. Chiropractic adjustments are a very gentle, safe, and effective way to relieve the back pain that commonly comes with pregnancy.

Many question the safety of chiropractic during pregnancy.  However, the research shows that not only is it extremely safe, but it is effective and offers additional benefit to both the mom and baby.  

• The American Pregnancy Association states that: “There are no known contraindications to chiropractic care throughout pregnancy.” (http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/chiropracticcare.html)  
• A retrospective study of pregnant women with back pain under chiropractic care showed no adverse effects of chiropractic treatments. (Lisi A.J. Chiropractic spinal manipulation for low back pain of pregnancy: a retrospective case series. J Midwifery Women's Health. 2006;51(1):e7–e10)

Additional benefits may include:

•  Shorter labor times
•  Proper positioning of baby
•  Less morning sickness

While most chiropractors are trained to work with pregnant women, some take additional coursework to be certified in the Webster Technique for pregnancy.  This is a chiropractic adjusting technique that is used on pregnant women.  To find a chiropractor near you who is certified in the Webster Technique, please visit: http://icpa4kids.org/Find-a-Chiropractor/.

Looking for more information?  Read more about chiropractic care and pregnancy.