What a week it’s been!
We’ve just come back from the UCA Conference (that’s the United Chiropractic Association) where 15 of our team headed up to Birmingham for two packed days of learning, connecting, and a few evening drinks.
We covered so much from paediatrics and pregnancy Chiropractic, to sports injuries, new treatment techniques, client care, and how to keep improving everything we do in practice. It was amazing to be in a room with some of the best Chiropractors from around the world, soaking up ideas and energy. The team came away buzzing and a few of them might’ve come away slightly more bleary-eyed than others… Names shall remain confidential (for now!).
I came back early Saturday evening so I could be there for Kit’s rugby festival on Sunday morning. He’s still in the tag rugby stage, so no tackling yet, but he’s loving it and doing a great job. And to top it off, he also lost one of his front teeth this week, which means we’re back to the toothless pirate look, very cute and slightly hilarious.
The tooth fairy made an appearance, and let me tell you the going rate is now £3 a tooth, plus glitter. This is serious inflation. But Kit was delighted.
We’re off next week for half-term, back to Girona in Spain, a favourite spot of ours. I’ve been joking that the family are joining me on a cycling training camp… safe to say that idea wasn’t warmly received. But there will be some riding, and hopefully some proper relaxation as well.
Before we go, keep your eyes peeled for our spine-tingling Halloween special 👻 – we’ve got some massage deals landing soon, perfect for shaking off the autumn stress.
Wishing you all a spooky, restful, and healthy end to October – see you after half-term.
Pregnancy is beautiful but let’s be honest, it’s not always comfortable. From aching backs to sleepless nights, many mums-to-be are now turning to Chiropractic care as a natural, drug-free solution for pain relief and mobility. As your body prepares to nurture new life, your spine, pelvis, and ligaments undergo major changes.
During pregnancy, hormones such as relaxin loosen joints and ligaments to prepare for birth but that same flexibility can create pelvic instability and back pain.
Clinical researchers have been testing whether manual Chiropractic adjustments can restore alignment and relieve pain without medication. The goal? Safe, evidence-based comfort for mums-to-be.
Chiropractic Helps Ease Pelvic and Back Pain
A trial by Gausel et al. (2017, BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth) studied women with dominant one sided pelvic girdle pain. Those who received chiropractic adjustments reported significantly reduced pain intensity and improved daily function compared with standard care. “Pregnant women receiving chiropractic management reported lower pain intensity and improved quality of life” (Gausel et al., 2017). This trial laid the groundwork for new studies now expanding across Europe and North America (Peterson et al., 2020).
Ongoing Registered Clinical Trials (2021–2025)
Building on earlier success, there have been more studies evaluating chiropractic care in pregnant women during the second trimester. Preliminary results show improvements in sleep quality, mobility, and pain reduction compared with routine obstetric advice (ClinicalTrials.gov, 2021).
Another study explored multimodal care, combining gentle spinal adjustments with exercise and education. The study found that integrating chiropractors into antenatal teams was both safe and feasible, showing reduced disability scores. “Multimodal care that includes spinal manipulation, exercise, and posture education can improve pregnancy-related back pain outcomes” (Peterson et al., 2019).
Broader Approaches and New Technologies
The Virtual Reality & Physiotherapy for Pregnancy Back Pain Trial (NCT05571358, 2023) compares digital physiotherapy and manual therapy, listing chiropractic adjustment as an active comparator.
Even though VR is central to the trial, the inclusion of chiropractic methods underlines how mainstream manual therapy has become for managing pregnancy-related low back pain. This one is a particular favourite of mine, it won’t be long before we have VR in the clinic, maybe.
Safety is the top concern for any mum-to-be and I fully understand that and have witnessed it first hand.
A review concluded that no serious adverse events were found across studies of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Mild temporary soreness was the most common side effect. “Chiropractic care appears safe when delivered within pregnancy-specific clinical guidelines” (Weis et al., 2020).
Recent observational data from 2023–2024 support these findings, showing that trained chiropractors using gentle, pregnancy-adapted techniques achieve excellent safety outcomes (BioMed Central Review, 2024).
What This Means for Expectant Mothers
- Gentle care, proven relief: Studies show chiropractic adjustments can significantly reduce pelvic and lower-back pain.
- Safety first: Proper prenatal protocols make it a safe, drug-free choice.
- Better sleep & mobility: Clinical trials link chiropractic care to improved movement and quality of life.
- Integrated wellness: The best results combine adjustments with posture support, stretching, and education.
What We See at West Chiropractic Clinic
At West Chiropractic Clinic, we’ve seen these findings come to life. Many expectant mothers walk in struggling with back or hip pain and walk out smiling with better posture, less discomfort, and renewed energy. Each success story reminds us that modern chiropractic care, backed by solid science, can make pregnancy more comfortable and joyful.
References
- Gausel, A. M., Kjærmann, I., Malmqvist, S., et al. (2017). Chiropractic management of dominating one-sided pelvic girdle pain in pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 17(1), 1–10.
- Peterson, C., Haas, M., & Gregory, W. (2019). Feasibility of integrating chiropractic care into antenatal programs for pregnancy-related low back pain. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 27(38).
- Weis, C. A., et al. (2020). Chiropractic care for adults with pregnancy-related low back and pelvic girdle pain: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 48, 102–107.
- ClinicalTrials.gov. (2021). Chiropractic Care and Pregnant Women (Identifier NCT04919278).
- ClinicalTrials.gov. (2019). Feasibility Study of Multimodal Care During Pregnancy (Identifier NCT02483091).
- ClinicalTrials.gov. (2023). Virtual Reality & Physiotherapy for Pregnancy Back Pain Trial (Identifier NCT05571358).
- BioMed Central Review. (2024). Safety outcomes of manual therapy in pregnancy: A global synthesis.
If you are wanting to chat more about the information above then why not book a call with me and we can go into more detail? Click here to book or if you want to get an assessment then Book a consultation with a Chiropractor here
If you do know someone who wants more advice, please send them our details. You can send them this assessment as well to diagnose their back pain. It is a great tool to understand where your back pain is coming from, it is free and takes 60 seconds. Click here for assessment
