- (636) 296-8123
- office@abundanthealthstl.com
- 1804 Jeffco Blvd, Arnold, MO 63010
Low back pain is one of the most common discomforts during pregnancy, and it is not because you are doing anything wrong. Your body is adapting quickly as your baby grows.
Three things are happening at once:
Add sleeping badly and standing awkwardly because everything already aches, and it compounds.
Two things to flag rather than push through. If your low back pain comes in a regular rhythm, tightening and releasing at intervals, that can be a sign of labour and you should contact your OB or midwife. And if you have shooting pain, tingling or numbness travelling down your leg, that is more likely sciatica than general back pain.
The important thing to know is that we are not going to crack your back.
We use the Webster Technique as one part of our prenatal chiropractic approach, with gentle assessment and care focused on the sacrum, pelvis and surrounding joints and muscles. During pregnancy, your changing center of gravity, increased load, stretched abdominal muscles and more flexible pelvic ligaments can all contribute to back and hip discomfort. Our role is to assess how you are moving and provide supportive care aimed at comfort, mobility and positioning.
A visit involves:
Most prenatal patients start with weekly visits and we adjust from there based on how they are feeling. If you are new to our office, you can see what to expect at your first visit.
Plenty of chiropractors treat low back pain. Fewer are set up for a pregnant back specifically, and that difference matters more than it sounds. Positioning has to change, the force has to come down because relaxin has already loosened your ligaments, and there are contraindications a general practice may not think to ask about.
Both Dr. Amy Horn and Dr. Caitlin Cross are Webster certified through the ICPA, which is prenatal specific training rather than a general credential. Dr. Cross also holds the CACCP.
We are at 1804 Jeffco Blvd in Arnold, roughly 25 minutes south of downtown St. Louis, seeing prenatal patients from Arnold, Imperial, Oakville, Fenton, Murphy and across Jefferson County. Back and hip pain is part of our broader prenatal chiropractic care, and depending on what is going on we may also use craniosacral therapy, nutritional support or acupuncture.
If your pain is at the front over your pubic bone, or you get clicking when you walk, our pelvic girdle pain and SPD page is the better starting point.
Yes, with a chiropractor trained in prenatal care. We use low force adjustments and pregnancy specific positioning, so there is no twisting and no pressure on your belly. We will ask you to check with your OB or midwife first if you have vaginal bleeding, placenta previa, preeclampsia or a risk of preterm labour.
Whenever it starts bothering you. There is no trimester that is too early or too late. Many patients come in during the second trimester as the aches begin, and others come in the third trimester when the load is heaviest. Starting earlier usually means staying ahead of it rather than chasing it.
No. We use gentle, low force, prenatal specific adjustments with pregnancy positioning. No forceful twisting and no lying face down. It is the same gentle approach we use with newborns.
On your side with a pillow between your knees, which stops your pelvis rotating overnight, plus support under your belly. A full pregnancy pillow does both. If one hip is sore from sleeping on it, alternate sides and add extra cushioning.
Very common, yes. Pregnancy-related changes in posture, body weight, abdominal support and the ligaments around the pelvis can all contribute to back discomfort. If your pain is severe, lasts more than two weeks, or occurs with bleeding, fever, painful urination or contractions, contact your OB or midwife.
General pregnancy back pain is an ache that stays in your lower back, hips and buttocks. Sciatica shoots, burns or tingles and travels down your leg, often with numbness. If yours travels down the leg, see our page on sciatica during pregnancy.
Hip discomfort can occur alongside pregnancy back pain as your posture, weight distribution and pelvic mechanics change. We assess the hips, pelvis and surrounding muscles together and determine whether gentle supportive chiropractic care is appropriate for what you are experiencing.
