What type of chiropractor is best when you are pregnant?

There are two types of chiropractic care that are extraordinarily beneficial to women while they are pregnant: The Gonstead Method and the Webster Technique. Dr. Martin is a chiropractor in Durham, NC, and is certified in both techniques. He has 20 years of training and experience providing specific, gentle chiropractic care for women who are pregnant.

Gonstead Chiropractic for Pregnancy

Of all the chiropractic techniques, the Gonstead method is the most difficult to master. The reason for that is that Gonstead is the most specific way to adjust the spine. It takes time, careful analysis, and precision in the doctor’s adjusting technique. A Gonstead chiropractor will focus only on the exact problem. It’s not a guessing game. We move specific vertebrae that are out of alignment and only those vertebrae.

It is really important during pregnancy to get a specific adjustment (as opposed to the regional adjustments offered in many chiropractic clinics).

The added weight in the abdomen as the baby grows puts extra stress on the spine. If you’ve ever been pregnant, you don’t need to be told this.  You’ve felt it! The extra pressure in the lower back can exacerbate other problems that may not have been as big a deal before pregnancy, such as sciatica or compromised discs.

The Gonstead technique is able to target the problem areas in the pelvic girdle and lower spine to restore the body to health in a way other methods don’t allow. For many women, this helps reduce back pain and hip pain that are so common during pregnancy. It also provides maximum space for the baby and can even make delivery faster and easier.

Specific adjustments for better results

A lot of chiropractors make general adjustments to regions of the spine, and sometimes that works. But for many pregnant women, general adjustments simply aren’t good enough. You need a specific adjustment for a specific result. You need a Gonstead adjustment.

Here’s another upside for women who are pregnant and looking for a chiropractor. A Gonstead chiropractic office has equipment that makes getting an adjustment much more comfortable. One example is the knee-chest table (seen in the image at the top of this page). The shape of the table provides a comfortable opening for the belly while also delivering support in the mid-to-upper spine, even in late-term pregnancy. The table permits a woman to lie face down, sometimes for the first time in many months, which relieves the weight and the strain off the pelvic floor. The knee-chest table also allows the back to move into a natural arch position. It’s such a comfortable position, pregnant patients will sometimes ask, “Can I just lie here for a while?” even after the adjustment is over. The table provides all these benefits for the mother, while also allowing for an adjustment with no pressure on the baby.

The Webster Technique: Chiropractic Care for Pregnant Women

The Webster Technique is another way chiropractic care can help during pregnancy. Dr. Martin is one of just a handful of chiropractors in South Durham certified in the Webster Technique.

The Webster Technique involves a specific type of analysis to the sacral area of the spine and an adjustment to reduce the effects of sacral subluxation/ SI joint dysfunction. This facilitates neuro-biomechanical function in the pelvis and often provides tremendous relief to women dealing with lower back pain and hip pain during pregnancy.

By stabilizing this area of the body, the pelvis can come into proper alignment. A pelvis that is misaligned prohibits a baby’s maximum movement. This puts stress on the baby—but also on the mother, causing lower back pain and preventing her from relief, rest, and sleep.

When the pelvis is not aligned correctly, it restricts a baby’s ability to move around—and to get in the right position to exit. This is why the Webster Technique has earned the reputation for being the go-to natural method to turn a baby. It actually provides the room for the baby to turn itself naturally—with no harm to the mother or child.

IMPORTANT: Chiropractic has a reputation for helping turn a baby naturally, but it is not a guarantee and it is not intended to be a last-minute miracle. The best time to begin chiropractic care is in the first trimester, not at 39 1/2 weeks.