Should You See a Chiropractor After Giving Birth?

Seeing a chiropractor after giving birth is a reasonable choice if you have back, pelvic, hip, tailbone or neck pain that is not settling on its own. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that in its 2017 clinical guidelines the American College of Physicians named spinal manipulation as one of several options that may help people with acute or chronic low-back pain, while describing the strength of that evidence as low.

Postpartum care is no longer treated as one checkup at six weeks. In Committee Opinion 736, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that all women have contact with their obstetric provider within the first 3 weeks postpartum, followed by ongoing care as needed and a comprehensive visit no later than 12 weeks after birth. That first contact is a good time to ask whether you are cleared for hands-on care. This post covers why the body hurts after birth, when to start, what a postpartum chiropractic visit addresses, and the symptoms that belong with your doctor.

Why Does Your Body Hurt After Having a Baby?

Postpartum pain is pain in the back, pelvis, hips, tailbone, neck or shoulders that begins during pregnancy or after delivery and continues in the weeks and months that follow. Pregnancy does not end for the joints on delivery day.

Several things overlap:

• Loosened pelvic joints. Cleveland Clinic explains that the hormone relaxin makes the ligaments between the pelvic bones more relaxed during pregnancy. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says pelvic girdle pain usually improves after birth, although around 1 in 10 women have ongoing pain.

• Stretched abdominal muscles. Cleveland Clinic reports that diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles, affects 6 in 10 women after childbirth, and that 45% still have it at six months postpartum. It lists low back pain and poor posture among the symptoms.

• The tailbone. UT Southwestern Medical Center notes that tailbone pain subsides soon after delivery for most women, and that looser ligaments and the stress of delivery can sometimes cause ongoing tailbone pain.

• Newborn care. Feeding, lifting, rocking and carrying a baby mean hours each day spent looking down with rounded shoulders.

When Can You See a Chiropractor After Giving Birth?

The timing is a decision to make with your OB or midwife, and it depends on how your delivery went. A vaginal birth without complications and a cesarean or a difficult delivery are different starting points.

ACOG's recommended contact within the first 3 weeks gives you a natural moment to ask. Tell your provider what hurts and that you are considering chiropractic care, and ask about any limits on positioning or pressure.

When you book, tell the chiropractor how and when you delivered, whether you had a cesarean, tearing or an epidural, and whether you are breastfeeding. Those details shape how you are positioned on the table and which techniques are used.

What Does Postpartum Chiropractic Care Address?

Postpartum chiropractic care looks at how the joints of the pelvis, lower back, mid-back, and neck are moving, and uses adjustments and soft tissue work to restore motion where it is restricted.

Low back and pelvic pain. NCCIH summarizes the research this way: for acute low-back pain, spinal manipulation produced modest improvement in pain, similar to the benefit of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and for chronic low-back pain the short-term relief was similar to other recommended therapies. Our post on whether chiropractic can help with lower back pain goes deeper.

Neck and upper back pain. NCCIH reports that spinal manipulation was helpful in reducing pain intensity in acute neck pain. Feeding posture can contribute, and our article on chiropractic adjustments for neck pain explains what care involves.

Habits at home. How you sit to feed, how you lift the car seat and how you sleep in short stretches all load the same joints. A visit should send you home with specific changes, not only an adjustment.

Those studies were not done in postpartum women specifically, so the fair expectation is improvement in how you move and feel, checked against how you are doing after the first few visits.

Is Chiropractic Care Safe After a C-Section?

Ask the provider who did your surgery before you start, and follow their timeline. A cesarean is abdominal surgery, and the incision and the layers under it need time to heal.

Once you are cleared, tell the chiropractor about the surgery so the visit can be planned around it. Adjustments do not all require lying face down or being twisted. At our office, Dr. Stephanie also uses an instrument called an Activator to deliver quick, low-force adjustments, which she recommends for people who prefer to avoid the cracking of a traditional adjustment.

How Does Exercise Fit Into Postpartum Recovery?

Movement is part of recovery. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week during pregnancy and the postpartum period, for example, 30 minutes on 5 days, and lists fewer symptoms of postpartum depression among the benefits. It also advises talking with your doctor about how to adjust your activity after pregnancy.

If you have diastasis recti, some exercises make it worse. Cleveland Clinic advises skipping crunches or sit-ups of any kind, planks, push-ups and any exercise that causes the abdominals to bulge, cone or dome, and says the separation can be improved without surgery through gentle movements guided by a physical therapist.

A chiropractor's role here is to keep the spine and pelvis moving well and to give you home exercises that match your stage of recovery. Dr. Stephanie builds customized at-home exercise plans that do not need a gym or bulky equipment. Pelvic floor concerns, such as leaking or heaviness, belong with a pelvic health physical therapist. Barto Family Chiropractic lists Pittsburgh Pelvis Health as a health partner.

Which Postpartum Symptoms Need a Doctor Right Away?

Some symptoms after birth are medical emergencies, and they can appear weeks or months later. The CDC's Hear Her campaign says its urgent maternal warning signs apply during pregnancy and in the year after delivery.

Seek medical care immediately for any of these:

• A headache that will not go away or gets worse over time

• Dizziness or fainting, or changes in your vision

• A fever of 100.4°F or higher

• Trouble breathing, chest pain or a fast-beating heart

• Severe belly pain

• Vaginal bleeding or discharge after pregnancy

• Severe swelling, redness or pain in a leg or arm

• Thoughts about harming yourself or your baby

A new, severe headache or calf pain after birth is never a chiropractic problem first. Call your OB, midwife or 911.

FAQ

How soon after giving birth can I get adjusted?

There is no single date that fits everyone. Ask your OB or midwife at your first postpartum contact, which ACOG recommends within the first 3 weeks.

Can chiropractic care help with back pain from breastfeeding?

It can help with the neck, upper back and shoulder tension that comes from long periods of looking down. Feeding position matters as much as the adjustment, so bring up how you sit to feed. Dr. Stephanie is also a lactation consultant, so latch and positioning questions can be handled in the same office.

Is it safe to see a chiropractor while breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding does not rule out chiropractic care, and adjustments do not involve medication. Tell the chiropractor you are nursing so positioning is comfortable.

Can I bring my baby to my appointment?

The practice sees infants and children as patients, so babies are a normal part of the day here. For hydrotherapy sessions, which use warm water jets to massage the back and neck while you recline, the office provides childcare. Call ahead if you want help planning a visit with a newborn.

How many visits will I need after having a baby?

It depends on what is found at your exam and how you respond. Our article on how often you should see a chiropractor explains how schedules are set and re-evaluated.

Should my newborn be checked too?

That is a separate decision for you and your pediatrician. Our post on whether chiropractic care is safe for babies and toddlers explains how infant visits differ from adult care.

Postpartum Chiropractic Care in Monroeville, PA

Dr. Stephanie Parrish has focused on prenatal and pediatric care since starting her practice in 2014. She is a mom herself, and in 2023 she became a lactation consultant so mothers could get feeding support and chiropractic care in one location. Every patient receives a personalized care plan with structured re-evaluations.

If you are a few weeks or a few months past delivery and still hurting, we can evaluate what is going on and work alongside your OB, midwife or pelvic health therapist.

Visit Barto Family Chiropractic or call 412-793-3300 today. Contact us for more information.