Is Chiropractic Care Safe During Pregnancy? What the Webster Technique Can Do For You

Is Chiropractic Care Safe During Pregnancy? What the Webster Technique Can Do For You

Is Chiropractic Care Safe During Pregnancy? What the Webster Technique Can Do For You

When you find out you're pregnant, you quickly learn there are a lot of things on the "not allowed" list. Certain foods. Certain medications. Certain activities. It can feel like every form of relief is off the table — so the idea of visiting a chiropractor might seem like yet another thing to cross off.

But according to Dr. Kimia Shakerpoor, a board-certified chiropractor specializing in prenatal care and active women at In Health Clinic in San Jose, CA, chiropractic is actually one of the safest treatment options available during pregnancy.

"It's safe for you, and it's safe for the baby in the womb," she told us on a recent episode of The Beauty Lab Podcast. "It encompasses the whole aspect of pregnancy — whether it's managing pain as your body changes, or helping with your baby's positioning."

 

What Is Prenatal Chiropractic Care?

Prenatal chiropractic is exactly what it sounds like: chiropractic care that's adapted specifically for pregnant patients. The techniques used, the table setup, and the overall approach are all modified to keep both mom and baby safe throughout every trimester.

Chiropractors who specialize in prenatal care often pursue additional training, including certification in the Webster Technique — a specific protocol designed for pregnant patients that has become the standard of care in prenatal chiropractic.

What Is the Webster Technique?

The Webster Technique is a gentle, targeted set of adjustments and soft tissue work designed to optimize pelvic alignment and balance during pregnancy. It works on two levels:

  • Pain relief: Addressing common complaints like low back pain, SI joint pain, and pubic bone pain by ensuring the pelvis is moving and aligned correctly
  • Baby positioning: Creating more space in the uterus so that babies have room to settle into the optimal, head-down position

One important clarification: the Webster Technique does not physically turn the baby. What it does is remove the tension and imbalance in the surrounding muscles and ligaments so the baby can move into position naturally.

"We create the space, and the baby does the work," Dr. Kimia explains. 

For parents whose baby is in a breech presentation, Webster care is often recommended as a first-line conservative option before considering a more invasive procedure like an External Cephalic Version (ECV) — where a physician manually turns the baby from outside the abdomen.

What Conditions Can Prenatal Chiropractic Help With?

Dr. Kimia sees a range of complaints in her prenatal patients, most commonly presenting in the second and third trimesters as the body changes most rapidly:

  • Low back pain
  • SI joint pain (around the hips and lower back)
  • Pubic bone pain / pubic symphysis dysfunction (often called "lightning crotch")
  • Round ligament tightness
  • Hip flexor and adductor tension
  • Breech or suboptimal baby positioning

Many of these symptoms are chalked up as "just part of pregnancy" — but Dr. Kimia makes an important distinction: common and normal are not the same thing.

"Just because something happens often in pregnant people doesn't mean you have to accept it," she says. "There is something you can do about it."

When Should You Start Prenatal Chiropractic Care?

The timing really depends on your goals:

  • Preconception or early pregnancy: If you want to prepare your body for the demands ahead, you can start care before or during your first trimester. This is a proactive, preventative approach.
  • Second trimester: This is when most patients begin noticing significant physical changes and discomfort. Starting care here allows your chiropractor to get ahead of worsening symptoms.
  • 34–36 weeks: If your baby is in a breech presentation and you want to explore Webster care, the window between weeks 34–36 is typically when it's most effective.

In all cases, your prenatal chiropractor will coordinate with your OB or midwife to make sure chiropractic is the right fit for your specific pregnancy.

What Does a First Appointment Look Like?

If you've never seen a chiropractor before — or if you're nervous about being adjusted while pregnant — know that your experience will look very different from what you might imagine.

Dr. Kimia walks every new patient through the available treatment styles and lets them choose what they're comfortable with. For pregnant patients, everything is designed with your comfort and safety in mind: positioning with bolsters, pillows, and wedge supports; options for gentler low-force techniques; and thorough explanations before anything is done.

"I sometimes overexplain everything," she laughs. "I haven't had anyone scold me about it yet."

Is Chiropractic Right for You?

The majority of pregnant women are excellent candidates for chiropractic care. There are some situations — such as certain placenta positions or instances of unexpected bleeding — where Dr. Kimia will modify her approach or work more closely with a patient's OB team. But these are the exception, not the rule.

If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Kimia offers free 15-minute phone consultations where you can ask questions and get a sense of whether care is right for you. You can reach her at In Health Clinic in San Jose, CA, or connect with her on Instagram at @DrKimiaShakerpoor, where she regularly posts exercises, stretches, and education for pregnant women.

She also runs a blog called The Maternal Motion, dedicated specifically to active and athletic women navigating pregnancy — including evidence-based guidance on what you can and can't do when it comes to prenatal fitness.

 Because the answer, more often than not, is: more than you think.

Ways To Get In Touch with Dr. Kimia Shakerpoor, DC

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