Pregnancy is not a disease, but it is one of the most demanding things a spine ever goes through. The body redistributes weight forward as the baby grows. The lumbar curve deepens. Ligaments soften under hormonal change to allow for delivery, which means joints that were stable can shift more easily. The pelvis adjusts. Sleep gets harder, and the positions that used to work no longer do. All of this puts measurable stress on the spine, and most pregnant patients feel it somewhere by the second or third trimester.

Common patterns include lower back pain, sciatic-type leg pain, hip discomfort, mid-back tension from changing breast weight, neck and shoulder strain from new postural patterns, leg cramps, and trouble finding a position to sleep in. Some patients also notice that constipation and other digestive complaints worsen as the growing uterus presses on surrounding nerves and tissue.

Dr. James P. Urban approaches pregnancy as a unique state that requires a unique approach. The exam and adjustment are adapted for each trimester. Positioning is modified, force is calibrated to the patient’s stage, and the focus is on the joints that have shifted as the body has changed. The Gonstead method’s emphasis on specificity is well suited to pregnancy because it adjusts only what needs to be adjusted, with the least force required. Many patients use chiropractic care throughout pregnancy and into the postpartum period, when the body is restoring itself to a non-pregnant baseline and the spine often needs help finding that position again.