Prenatal chiropractic care in Santa Monica.

Why discomfort is so common

As the abdomen grows, your center of gravity moves forward, the curve of the lower back deepens to compensate, and the ligaments supporting the pelvis soften under hormonal changes.

Somewhere between half and three-quarters of pregnant women report back pain at some point. The usual causes are mechanical rather than mysterious: a forward-shifted load, a pelvis whose ligaments have loosened to prepare for birth, and postural compensations that develop gradually as the pregnancy progresses.

Where it usually shows up

• A deep ache low in the back, worse late in the day
• Sharp pain across the back of the pelvis or into the buttock
• Discomfort at the front of the pubic bone, especially when rolling over or climbing stairs
• Sciatic-type symptoms running down one leg
• Tightness through the hips that makes walking uncomfortable

What is different about prenatal care

Technique changes. Positioning is adapted so there is no pressure on the abdomen — often side-lying, or using a table that accommodates a pregnant belly. Force is reduced considerably, with an emphasis on gentle mobilization rather than higher-velocity adjustment. And certain approaches are set aside entirely for the duration.

The goal is modest and practical: restore movement where the pelvis and lower back have stiffened, ease the muscular compensation around them, and help you stay comfortable and mobile as the pregnancy continues.

What a first visit looks like

Expect questions before hands. How far along you are, how the pregnancy has gone, where the discomfort sits, what makes it better or worse, and whether anything has changed recently.

That history shapes everything that follows — and it is also how we identify anything that belongs with your obstetric team rather than here.