Introduction to Pregnancy Back Pain
A lot changes in your body when you become pregnant. You are growing a brand new human and your body adjusts to accommodate your new little person.
By visiting a chiro during pregnancy, you can get the support you need for healthy alignment of your back and pelvis as your baby grows.
There are many reasons to visit a chiropractor during pregnancy – and we go into detail on how we can help below, but first, we thought we might answer one of the most common prenatal chiropractic questions we get asked by new moms at Gateway to Wellness.
How Common Is Back Pain During Pregnancy?
Statistics show that 50 to 80 percent of pregnant women experience pregnancy back pain. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 40% of all pregnant women experience back pain at some point during their pregnancy.
So, while pregnancy back pain, and pregnancy pelvis pain, are both almost unavoidable, accessing chiropractic care during your pregnancy will help.
Why Pregnancy Causes Back Pain
Understanding the causes of your back pain is the first step toward finding effective relief. Several physiological changes during pregnancy contribute to back discomfort.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles. This changes your posture and puts a strain on your back.
Hormonal Changes and Ligament Laxity
One of the primary culprits behind pregnancy back pain is a hormone called relaxin. This hormone is produced by the ovary and placenta during pregnancy.
Relaxin serves a crucial purpose: it relaxes the ligaments in your pelvis and softens and widens the cervix to prepare your body for childbirth. However, this loosening effect doesn’t just target your pelvis, it affects joints throughout your entire body.
When ligaments become more flexible, they provide less support to your spine and pelvic joints. This can lead to instability and pain, particularly in the lower back and sacroiliac (SI) joint areas.
Relaxin levels peak during the first trimester and again just before delivery. Many women notice increased joint looseness and potential discomfort during these periods.
Postural Changes and Weight Gain
As your pregnancy progresses, your body undergoes significant postural adaptations. The Mayo Clinic notes that as your baby grows, your center of gravity shifts forward.
To compensate for this forward shift and avoid falling, many pregnant women instinctively lean backward. This compensation increases the curve in your lower back—a condition called lordosis or “swayback.”
This exaggerated spinal curve strains the muscles in your lower back and can compress spinal nerves. Combined with the typical 25-35 pound weight gain during pregnancy, your back muscles are working harder than ever before.
Your abdominal muscles also stretch and weaken as your belly expands. Since these muscles help support your spine, their reduced effectiveness places additional burden on your back.
The Role of Sciatica in Pregnancy
Sciatica is a specific type of back pain that many pregnant women experience. It occurs when the sciatic nerve—the largest nerve in your body, running from your lower back down through your hips and legs, becomes compressed or irritated.
Symptoms of sciatica during pregnancy include:
- Sharp, shooting pain radiating from the lower back down one leg
- Tingling or "pins and needles" sensations in the leg or foot
- Numbness in parts of the leg or foot
- Burning sensation in the lower back and buttocks
- Pain that worsens when sitting, coughing, or sneezing
During pregnancy, sciatica can develop when your growing uterus and baby put pressure on the sciatic nerve. The position of your baby, combined with the postural changes and ligament laxity from relaxin, can all contribute to nerve compression.
The good news is that for most women, pregnancy-related sciatica resolves after delivery. However, chiropractic care can provide significant relief during your pregnancy.
The Best Reasons to Visit a Pregnancy Chiropractor
Research demonstrates that chiropractic care is associated with improved outcomes for pregnancy-related low back pain. Here’s why visiting a pregnancy chiropractor at Gateway to Wellness can make a significant difference in your pregnancy journey.
Preserve Your Posture
As your belly grows your center of gravity changes, and your back will need to adjust. And of course, you’re carrying some extra weight.
These two factors combined, are likely to change your posture and this change, if not addressed by a pregnancy chiropractor, may lead to back pain.
A prenatal chiropractic visit will ensure that your posture is as good as it can be before you conceive, setting you and your back up for a healthy and pain-free pregnancy.
Our chiropractic treatments will help your spine stay strong as it shifts around your new baby, and ensure you can continue to exercise and move the way you enjoy through your pregnancy.
Postnatal chiropractic visits will help you get back to doing the things you loved before pregnancy and birth perhaps certain types of exercise.
Good posture during pregnancy offers multiple benefits:
- Reduced strain on back muscles and spinal joints
- Better breathing capacity as your lungs have more room to expand
- Improved circulation and decreased swelling
- More space for your baby to develop optimally
- Enhanced balance and stability to help prevent falls
Align Your Pelvis
Your pelvis sits at the base of your spine and the two are integral, connected, and hardworking parts of your skeletal system.
To allow for birth, hormones are released during pregnancy that soften the pelvic area. This softening is essential to make space for your little one but also changes the support your pelvis usually provides your spine.
As your pregnancy progresses, maintaining pelvis alignment and balance is key to both avoiding pain, and ensuring your baby arrives safely.
Statistics show that you’re four times more likely to experience pregnancy pelvis pain than pregnancy back pain. As the two are so connected, experiencing pain in your pelvis has been known to then lead to pregnancy back pain.
A visit to a pregnancy chiropractor, here at Gateway to Wellness, will gently help to realign your pelvis, ensuring you avoid both pregnancy pelvis pain and pregnancy back pain.
Proper pelvic alignment is crucial because:
- A misaligned pelvis can reduce the space available for your baby to develop
- Pelvic imbalance may affect your baby's ability to move into the optimal birth position
- Alignment issues can lead to a more difficult labor and delivery
- Balanced pelvic muscles and ligaments support a smoother birth process
Receive Expert Advice and Support
At Gateway to Wellness, we’ll not only offer you relief from pain through our chiropractic treatment, but through our holistic, considered approach we will also provide you with as much advice as you’d like to ensure you’re comfortable during your pregnancy.
We’ll take the time to understand your goals and provide advice that aligns with them. We’ll suggest how often you could visit a chiro during pregnancy; perhaps if you should consider a pregnancy pillow and if so the best options; and what other exercise and wellness options might work for you and your growing baby.
Our comprehensive guidance includes:
- Personalized stretching routines safe for each trimester
- Ergonomic recommendations for work and home
- Sleep position guidance for optimal comfort
- Exercise modifications as your body changes
- Nutritional support for musculoskeletal health
Relax and Rejuvenate
Pregnancy is a time of joy but can also bring with it feelings of uncertainty and stress. You can usually put all these feelings – the good and the bad – down to pregnancy hormones, and the very real physical changes that are happening to your body, some of which may be causing you pregnancy back pain and pregnancy pelvic pain.
No matter where it is coming from, pain often leads to stress.
Our chiropractic treatments, like soft tissue manipulation therapies, are designed to reduce muscle tension and ease your pain, leaving you feeling more relaxed and comfortable in your pregnant body.
Although you are very likely to experience pregnancy back pain and pregnancy pelvis pain, there is a solution – accessing chiropractic care has been shown to reduce the pain women experience during pregnancy. And, as well as helping to reduce your discomfort, when you visit a pregnancy chiropractor at Gateway to Wellness we’ll treat you like part of our family as you plan to grow your own.
Chiropractic Treatments for Pregnancy Back Pain
Research from the National Institutes of Health confirms that chiropractic care provides significant relief for pregnancy-related back pain. At Gateway to Wellness, we offer several specialized treatments designed specifically for expectant mothers.
Safe Adjustment Techniques
All chiropractors are trained to work with pregnant women, but some—like our team at Gateway to Wellness—have additional specialized training. There are no known contraindications to chiropractic care throughout pregnancy.
Our pregnancy-safe adjustment techniques include:
- Side-lying adjustments that avoid pressure on your abdomen
- Use of pregnancy pillows and specialized tables with drop-away sections
- Gentle, low-force techniques appropriate for each trimester
- Soft tissue therapies to release muscle tension
- Activator instrument adjustments for precise, gentle corrections
Studies show that 84% of pregnant women receiving chiropractic care report relief from back pain. Additionally, women who receive regular chiropractic care throughout pregnancy may experience 25-33% shorter labor times.
The Webster Technique Explained
The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment developed by Dr. Larry Webster, founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA).
This technique focuses on reducing the effects of pelvic misalignment and improving function in the sacral and pelvic region. By addressing sacral subluxation and SI joint dysfunction, the Webster Technique helps:
- Restore proper pelvic balance
- Reduce tension in surrounding muscles and ligaments
- Create a more comfortable environment for your baby
- Support optimal fetal positioning
- Prepare your body for labor and delivery
Research published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics shows an 82% success rate for the Webster Technique in resolving breech presentations when performed during month 8 of pregnancy.
The Webster Technique involves gentle adjustments to the sacrum using a drop table, combined with soft tissue work on specific ligaments including the round ligament. This comprehensive approach addresses both the bony structures and soft tissues contributing to pelvic imbalance.
When to See a Doctor for Pregnancy Back Pain
While back pain is common during pregnancy, certain symptoms warrant immediate medical attention. The Cleveland Clinic advises contacting your healthcare provider if you experience:
Red Flags and Warning Signs
Seek immediate medical care if you experience any of the following:
- Severe or intense pain that prevents normal daily activities
- Sudden, sharp pain that starts abruptly
- Rhythmic cramping pain in your hips or abdomen (could indicate labor)
- Back pain accompanied by vaginal bleeding
- Back pain with fever
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating (may indicate UTI)
- Back pain lasting more than two weeks without improvement
Back pain can sometimes be a sign of preterm labor or urinary tract infection, both of which require prompt medical attention. Always err on the side of caution and contact your healthcare provider if something doesn’t feel right.
Prevention Tips and Home Care
Exercise and Posture Tips
The ACOG recommends that women with uncomplicated pregnancies engage in regular physical activity. Exercise can help prevent and ease back pain by strengthening the muscles that support your spine.
Safe exercises during pregnancy include:
- Walking – A low-impact activity that keeps your back strong
- Swimming and water aerobics – The water supports your weight and reduces joint stress
- Prenatal yoga – Improves flexibility and strengthens core muscles
- Pelvic tilts – Help strengthen abdominal muscles and relieve lower back tension
- Cat-cow stretches – Gently mobilize the spine and ease muscle tension
Posture tips for daily activities:
- Stand up straight with chest high and shoulders back and relaxed
- Don't lock your knees when standing
- Use a wide stance for better support
- Rest one foot on a low stool if standing for long periods
- Choose chairs that support your back or use a lumbar pillow
- When lifting, bend at your knees—not your waist
Supportive Products and Lifestyle Changes
Several products and lifestyle modifications can help manage pregnancy back pain:
Maternity Support Belts:
Pregnancy Pillows:
Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees and another under your belly. Full-length body pillows provide comprehensive support for side sleeping.
Proper Footwear:
Choose low-heeled shoes (not flat) with good arch support. Avoid high heels as they can throw off your balance and strain your back.
Heat and Cold Therapy:
Apply a heating pad on a low setting (wrapped in a towel) for 15 minutes to ease muscle tension. Cold packs can help reduce inflammation. Always check with your healthcare provider before using heat therapy.
Massage:
Prenatal massage can help relax tight muscles and improve circulation. Seek out massage therapists trained in pregnancy massage techniques.
Conclusion: Find Relief Today
Pregnancy back pain may be common, but you don’t have to suffer through it. With proper chiropractic care, exercise, and self-care strategies, you can significantly reduce your discomfort and enjoy your pregnancy journey.
At Gateway to Wellness, our experienced pregnancy chiropractors are dedicated to helping expectant mothers achieve optimal spinal health. We use evidence-based techniques like the Webster Technique to address pelvic alignment, reduce pain, and prepare your body for a smoother labor and delivery.
Remember: studies show that chiropractic care during pregnancy can reduce back pain intensity, shorten labor times, and improve overall maternal comfort. You deserve to feel your best during this special time.
Get in touch with us today to schedule your prenatal chiropractic appointment and take the first step toward a more comfortable, pain-free pregnancy.
