A study published in April 2014 in Chiropractic and Manual Therapies found that after six months of chiropractic treatment, 90 percent of pregnant patients with lower back pain reported clinically significant improvement. The study was led by researcher Cynthia Peterson, a professor of chiropractic medicine at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
Researchers recruited 115 patients who were pregnant and experiencing lower back or pelvic pain who were eligible to receive manipulation therapy. Patients had been referred to a chiropractor by a gynecologist, who then recruited them for the study. Information was collected on how long each patient had been experiencing back pain, whether they had experienced lower back pain in a previous pregnancy, and where their pain was located.
Patients received chiropractic manipulation therapy (also known as a chiropractic adjustment) from their chiropractors — the frequency and specific type of treatment was left to the discretion of each chiropractor. The patients’ improvement in the amount of pain felt was measured at one week, one month, three months, six months and one year after the first treatment. More than 50 percent of patients reported improvement in pain levels at every interval of measurement, with 90 percent of patients reporting improvement in one year.

Lower Back Pain in Pregnancy

Lower back pain affects as many as 80 percent of pregnant women and medicating back pain is highly discouraged during pregnancy for the safety of the mother and child. However, back pain can persist after pregnancy has ended in 94 percent of women, making it a serious issue for health care providers to address. Additionally, lower back pain and pelvic pain combined can increase disability rates during pregnancy.
While research has not definitively pinpointed the root cause of back pain during pregnancy, it is largely assumed to be a result of biomechanical changes in the body from increased weight, changing balance, and softening of ligaments due to hormonal changes. This study on chiropractic care during pregnancy aimed to build on the limited but promising results of previous research.

Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

Chiropractic manipulation therapy provides a conservative, non-invasive alternative treatment that is demonstrated to be successful. No severe adverse effects were reported by study participants, which reflects the safety of chiropractic care.
The study does contain some limitations, such as variations in the type of treatment conducted by individual chiropractors. However, a slight variation in treatment reflects personalized care for each patient’s unique situation. Chiropractors aim to treat their patients based on the individual’s needs and comfort rather than just the symptoms. Beyond manipulation, chiropractors can also work with patients to lower back pain outside the chiropractor’s office by creating a personalized routine of stretches, ergonomic sleeping, sitting and standing positions, and other daily habits.
For pregnant women who struggle with disabling back and pelvic symptoms, this study affirms chiropractic care as a successful alternative to invasive treatment.