Condition
Pregnancy-Related Pain
Pregnancy pain is often the pelvis, low back, and ribs asking for room. Dr. Renaud in Newark (Webster, BIRTHFIT) and Dr. Leary in Camden/Dover (Webster, pediatrics) are the primary prenatal names. Dr. Giannakakis also uses Webster in Wilmington.
What changes mechanically over forty weeks is substantial and largely unavoidable. Relaxin loosens ligaments throughout the body, so joints that were previously stable start to move more than they should — the sacroiliac joints in particular. The centre of gravity shifts forward week by week, which increases the curve in the low back and asks a great deal more of the muscles holding it. The ribcage has to widen. The pelvic floor takes on load it has never carried. None of that is pathological; all of it produces predictable, treatable pain when one part of the system takes more than its share.
The complaints follow from that. Sacroiliac and pubic symphysis pain that makes rolling over in bed a two-minute operation and getting out of a car genuinely difficult. Low back pain that arrives in the second trimester and escalates. Rib pain under the breast as the ribcage is pushed upward. Sciatic-type leg pain, which in pregnancy is frequently the pelvis rather than a disc. Wrist pain from fluid retention. Upper back and neck pain from a chest that has changed and a posture that has adapted around it.
Treatment is standard chiropractic care with the force and positioning changed to suit. Adjustments are lighter, drop-table and instrument methods do a lot of the work, and side-lying or cut-out table positioning keeps you comfortable through the third trimester. Kinesio taping is genuinely useful for supporting a heavy abdomen and an unhappy sacroiliac joint between visits. Massage is available at every clinic with pregnancy positioning. The aim is unglamorous and specific: sleep, walking distance, and being able to work.
Webster deserves a clear description because it is widely misrepresented. It is a sacral analysis and adjustment combined with round ligament release, and it works on the mother's pelvic alignment. Balanced pelvic mechanics are plausibly better for everyone involved, but the technique is performed on you, not on the baby, and we do not present it as a procedure for turning a breech presentation. If your baby is breech, that conversation belongs with your obstetric provider, and we are happy to work alongside whatever they recommend.
We do not “turn babies” as a party trick. We restore pelvic mechanics and comfort so you can sleep, work, and prepare for delivery. Your OB remains your obstetrician.
Related conditions
Services that often help
Doctors to start with
Patients from Bear, Glasgow, and Pike Creek typically use Newark. Brandywine Hundred, Claymont, and Hockessin use Wilmington. Capital-area patients use Camden/Dover. Smyrna covers Route 13 and Saturday mornings.
FAQ
Is chiropractic safe while pregnant?
Yes when modified. Webster, positioning, and force changes are the point. Tell us your week and any OB restrictions.
What actually is the Webster technique?
A specific sacral analysis and adjustment, plus release of the round ligaments across the front of the abdomen, developed for pregnant patients and requiring separate certification. It works on the mother's pelvic alignment and the soft tissue attaching to it. It is not performed on the baby, and describing it as a technique for turning a breech baby overstates what it does.
How do I lie face down at 32 weeks?
On a table with a cut-out, or with pregnancy pillows, or side-lying — all three are used here and the choice is yours. Most patients are surprised at how comfortable prone positioning still is well into the third trimester with the right setup. If it is not comfortable, we work side-lying and nothing is lost.
When in pregnancy should I start?
Whenever it hurts. Plenty of patients start in the second trimester when the pelvis begins to complain, and plenty start at 34 weeks because sleep has become impossible. Starting earlier is not a requirement, though it is generally easier to keep a pelvis comfortable than to rescue one at 38 weeks.
Do I need clearance from my OB or midwife?
Not routinely, and most pregnancies do not require it. Tell us about placenta previa, a cerclage, pre-eclampsia, a high-risk designation, or any restriction you have been given, and we will coordinate before treating rather than after. Your obstetric provider stays in charge of your pregnancy throughout.
What about after the birth?
Postpartum is genuinely under-served and worth a visit. Ligaments stay lax for months, the pelvis is finding its way back, and feeding posture is brutal on a mid-back and a set of wrists. Bring the baby — every one of these clinics is used to it.