Your lower back aches every time you stand up. Rolling over in bed feels impossible. Your hips hurt so badly you can barely walk some days. You’re growing a human being, and your body is working harder than it ever has—but nobody warned you it would hurt this much.
Dr. Justin Swanson of Austin Chiropractic & Acupuncture helps pregnant women around Austin stay comfortable and active throughout their pregnancy, prepare their bodies for easier labor and delivery, and recover faster after their baby arrives. His gentle, pregnancy-safe techniques work with your changing body instead of fighting against it.
Most women assume pregnancy pain is just something you endure for nine months. Your OB tells you it’s normal. Your friends say they suffered through it too. But normal doesn’t mean you can’t get relief. Proper care during pregnancy and after delivery makes the whole experience easier on your body and helps you feel better while you’re caring for your new baby.
What Is Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care and How Does It Help?
Pre & postnatal chiropractic care is specialized treatment designed specifically for pregnant and postpartum women that uses gentle, pregnancy-safe adjustments to reduce common discomforts like back pain, sciatica, and hip pain while helping your pelvis stay balanced for easier labor and supporting your body’s recovery after delivery. Dr. Swanson never puts pressure on your belly and uses techniques specifically taught for treating pregnant bodies.
Your body goes through remarkable changes during pregnancy. Your center of gravity shifts forward as your belly grows. Your lower back curves more to compensate. Your hips spread to prepare for delivery. Your rib cage expands to make room. Hormones like relaxin loosen your ligaments to allow your pelvis to open during birth.
All these necessary changes create stress on your spine and joints. The extra weight you’re carrying pulls on your lower back. The shift in your center of gravity changes how you walk and stand. The loosened ligaments mean your joints move more than usual, which can lead to instability and pain.
Chiropractic adjustments help your body adapt to these changes. When your pelvis stays balanced and your spine maintains proper alignment, you experience less pain during pregnancy. Your muscles don’t have to work as hard to compensate for misalignments. Your nerves function better, which can reduce many pregnancy symptoms beyond just pain.
After delivery, your body needs support returning to its pre-pregnancy state. Those hormones that loosened your ligaments take months to leave your system. Your core muscles stretched and weakened. Your posture changed. Postpartum adjustments help your pelvis realign, address lingering pain, and prepare your body for the physical demands of caring for a newborn.
Why Do Pregnant Women Need Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care?
Pregnant women need pre & postnatal chiropractic care because the physical changes of pregnancy create spinal misalignments, pelvic imbalances, and muscle strain that cause pain and discomfort in most women, and proper alignment not only reduces pregnancy symptoms but may also contribute to easier labor, better fetal positioning, and faster postpartum recovery. Your body is doing something amazing, but it needs help managing the physical stress.
Lower back pain affects up to 80% of pregnant women at some point. As your belly grows, your lower back curves more dramatically to keep you balanced. This increased curve—called lordosis—puts extra pressure on your lumbar spine. The muscles supporting your back work overtime. The joints compress differently. All of this creates pain that gets worse as pregnancy progresses.
Sciatica—that shooting pain down your leg—happens when your growing uterus or shifting pelvis puts pressure on your sciatic nerve. The pain can be intense enough to make walking difficult. Many pregnant women around Austin deal with sciatica in their second and third trimesters without realizing chiropractic care can provide relief.
Hip pain disrupts sleep when you’re trying to rest on your side as recommended during pregnancy. Your hips spread to prepare for delivery, but if they’re not moving symmetrically or if your pelvis is misaligned, one side often hurts more than the other. Rolling over in bed becomes a major production that wakes you fully.
Round ligament pain creates sharp sensations in your groin when you move suddenly. While this is a normal pregnancy symptom, proper pelvic alignment can reduce its frequency and severity. The ligaments supporting your uterus stretch dramatically—keeping your pelvis balanced reduces strain on these structures.
Beyond pain relief, pelvic balance matters for your baby. When your pelvis is properly aligned, your baby has optimal space to get into the best position for birth. Some research suggests regular chiropractic care during pregnancy may reduce labor time and decrease the need for interventions, though Dr. Swanson is careful to explain that chiropractic complements your OB care rather than replacing it.
Common Pregnancy Symptoms That Improve with Care
Many women notice improvements in symptoms beyond just back and hip pain. Headaches often decrease when neck tension is addressed. Some women find their morning sickness becomes more manageable. Heartburn may lessen. Swelling in hands and feet sometimes improves. While chiropractic can’t cure these pregnancy symptoms, proper spinal alignment helps your nervous system function better, which can reduce their severity.
How Does Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care Differ from Regular Chiropractic?
Pre & postnatal chiropractic care differs from regular chiropractic because it requires specialized training in pregnancy-specific techniques, uses positioning that accommodates your growing belly without putting pressure on it, accounts for the hormonal changes affecting your ligaments and joints, and focuses on pelvic balance and alignment that supports both your comfort and optimal fetal positioning. Not every chiropractor is trained to treat pregnant women safely.
Dr. Swanson completed specialized prenatal training beyond his Palmer College education. He learned how to adjust pregnant women at different stages—early pregnancy when you’re dealing with morning sickness, mid-pregnancy when your belly is growing rapidly, and late pregnancy when you can barely move. Each stage requires different approaches.
The adjusting table accommodates your body safely. You’ll never lie flat on your stomach during pregnancy. Instead, you’ll lie on your side with pillows supporting you, or use special cushions designed with openings for your belly. Some positions use the table in a seated or standing configuration. Every technique is designed to keep you and your baby safe.
Regular chiropractic focuses on fixing misalignments and reducing pain. Prenatal chiropractic adds the goal of optimizing your pelvis for labor and delivery. The Webster Technique—a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment—focuses on reducing stress on your pelvis and supporting proper fetal positioning. Dr. Swanson uses this technique along with other pregnancy-safe methods.
Force and pressure differ too. Your ligaments are looser due to relaxin, which means your joints move more easily but are also less stable. Adjustments need to account for this increased mobility. Techniques that work well on non-pregnant patients might be too forceful for pregnant bodies.
Postpartum care addresses different issues than prenatal care. After delivery, the focus shifts to helping your pelvis return to its pre-pregnancy position, addressing any trauma from labor and delivery, supporting your core muscle recovery, and preparing your body for the physical demands of caring for an infant. The constant bending, lifting, and nursing in awkward positions create their own set of problems.
When Should You Start Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care?
You should start pre & postnatal chiropractic care as soon as you find out you’re pregnant, or even before conception if you’re planning to get pregnant, because early care prevents problems from developing as your body changes, though it’s never too late to start even if you’re in your third trimester or already dealing with pain. The best time to begin is now, regardless of which trimester you’re in.
Starting in your first trimester—before you’re showing and before major discomfort begins—allows Dr. Swanson to establish a baseline of your alignment and begin preparing your body for the changes ahead. Early adjustments help your pelvis adapt to the hormonal changes starting to affect your ligaments. Many women who start care early experience less pain throughout their entire pregnancy.
If you’re already in your second or third trimester and just learning about prenatal chiropractic, you haven’t missed the window. Starting care at any point during pregnancy provides benefits. Women who begin treatment in their third trimester still experience significant pain relief and may still see improvements in fetal positioning and labor outcomes.
Some Austin women start even before getting pregnant. If you’re planning to conceive, getting your pelvis properly aligned beforehand can help with fertility and sets you up for a healthier pregnancy. Your body functions better when your nervous system isn’t dealing with interference from spinal misalignments.
How often you come in depends on your symptoms and stage of pregnancy. Early pregnancy might only need adjustments every few weeks. As you get bigger and experience more discomfort, weekly visits often provide better results. In the final weeks before delivery, some women come twice a week to keep their pelvis optimally balanced.
Postpartum care should ideally start within the first few weeks after delivery. Your body just went through major physical trauma—whether you had a vaginal delivery or C-section. The sooner you address misalignments caused by labor and delivery, the faster you heal and the less likely you are to develop chronic problems.
What Conditions Does Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care Address?
Pre & postnatal chiropractic care addresses lower back pain, sciatica, hip pain, round ligament pain, pubic symphysis pain, rib pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, breech presentation, pelvic instability, postpartum back pain, diastasis recti recovery support, and nursing-related neck and shoulder pain. If your pregnancy or postpartum symptom involves joints, muscles, nerves, or alignment, treatment can likely help.
Lower back pain tops the list of pregnancy complaints. That deep ache in your lumbar spine that gets worse as the day goes on and makes getting off the couch difficult. Adjustments restore proper curve to your lower back and take pressure off compressed joints and nerves. Most women notice significant improvement within a few visits.
Sciatica during pregnancy feels different than regular sciatica because the cause is often your growing uterus pressing on the nerve rather than a disc problem. The pain shoots down your buttock and leg, sometimes all the way to your foot. Numbness, tingling, or burning can accompany the pain. Adjusting your pelvis and lower back changes how pressure distributes and often relieves sciatic symptoms.
Hip pain and pelvic girdle pain make walking, climbing stairs, and rolling over in bed miserable. Your sacroiliac joints—where your pelvis connects to your spine—take extra stress during pregnancy. These joints can become inflamed or restricted. Specific adjustments to your pelvis and sacrum reduce pain and improve mobility.
Pubic symphysis pain creates sharp sensations at the front of your pelvis where the two halves of your pubic bone meet. This joint spreads during pregnancy to prepare for delivery, but sometimes it spreads unevenly or becomes inflamed. The pain can be severe enough to make walking nearly impossible. Balancing your pelvis reduces stress on this joint.
Rib pain in late pregnancy happens when your baby runs out of room and pushes up against your ribs. Your rib cage also expands to make space for your organs as your uterus pushes everything up. Ribs can shift out of position and get stuck. Dr. Swanson can adjust ribs to reduce pain and improve breathing.
Carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy comes from fluid retention putting pressure on the median nerve in your wrist. But the problem often starts in your neck or shoulder. Adjusting the whole chain from neck to wrist addresses nerve compression at multiple levels.
Breech presentation—when your baby is head-up instead of head-down—sometimes responds to the Webster Technique. By balancing your pelvis and reducing tension in your uterine ligaments, you create optimal space for your baby to move into the best position for birth. This doesn’t work for every breech baby, but many Austin women have avoided external cephalic version or C-section because their baby turned after chiropractic care.
Postpartum Issues That Respond to Treatment
After delivery, new problems emerge. Back pain from constantly bending over cribs, changing tables, and car seats. Neck and shoulder pain from nursing or bottle feeding for hours each day. Tailbone pain if you had a difficult vaginal delivery. Pelvic floor dysfunction and pain. All of these respond well to postpartum adjustments and rehabilitation.
How Safe Is Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy?
Pre & postnatal chiropractic care is extremely safe during pregnancy when performed by a chiropractor with proper prenatal training, using pregnancy-specific techniques and positioning that never puts pressure on your abdomen, with no reported cases of serious adverse events in medical literature when care is provided appropriately. Dr. Swanson uses only gentle methods designed specifically for pregnant bodies.
Research supports the safety of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Multiple studies have found no increased risk of complications when pregnant women receive adjustments. The techniques are gentle, non-invasive, and don’t involve medications or procedures that could affect your baby.
The adjustments themselves use minimal force. Dr. Swanson isn’t cracking your back forcefully like you might imagine. The pressure he applies is gentle and controlled, targeting specific joints that need to move. Many women are surprised by how subtle the adjustments feel, especially compared to what they expected.
Positioning ensures safety. You never lie on your stomach during pregnancy. Special tables and cushions support your body in ways that keep you and your baby safe and comfortable. If any position feels wrong or uncomfortable, you speak up and he adjusts how you’re positioned.
There are very few contraindications to prenatal chiropractic care. If you have certain high-risk pregnancy conditions—like placenta previa, ectopic pregnancy, or severe pre-eclampsia—your OB might recommend waiting. Dr. Swanson can speak with your obstetrician if there’s any question about whether care is appropriate for your specific situation.
Most OBs in Austin support their patients getting chiropractic care during pregnancy. Many actively refer patients because they see the benefits—reduced pain, better mobility, fewer requests for pain medication, easier labors. Some pregnant women worry their doctor will disapprove, but most find their OB encourages anything that helps them feel better without drugs.
What Can Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care Do for Labor and Delivery?
Pre & postnatal chiropractic care can potentially reduce labor time, decrease the need for interventions like epidurals or C-sections, support optimal fetal positioning, reduce back labor pain, and help your pelvis move freely through the stages of delivery, though individual results vary and chiropractic complements rather than replaces your medical prenatal care. A balanced pelvis simply works better during labor.
Your pelvis needs to open and shift during labor to allow your baby to descend and be born. If your pelvis is misaligned or restricted before labor starts, it can’t move through these necessary changes as easily. This can slow labor or make it more painful. Keeping your pelvis balanced throughout pregnancy means it’s ready to do its job when labor begins.
The Webster Technique specifically addresses pelvic balance and tension in the ligaments supporting your uterus. When these structures are balanced, your baby has optimal room to get into the best position for birth—head down, facing your back, with their chin tucked. Babies in this position typically result in shorter, easier labors.
Some studies suggest women who receive regular chiropractic care throughout pregnancy experience shorter labor times. One study found first-time mothers who received chiropractic care had 24% shorter labor times, while mothers who’d given birth before had 39% shorter labors. These results aren’t guaranteed for every woman, but they suggest proper alignment helps the process go more smoothly.
Back labor—when your baby’s head presses against your spine during contractions—is often related to fetal positioning. Babies who are “sunny side up” (facing forward instead of backward) create intense back pain during labor. The Webster Technique may help babies rotate into better positions before labor starts, potentially reducing back labor.
C-section rates may be lower in women who receive prenatal chiropractic care, according to some research. This likely relates to better fetal positioning and more efficient labor progression. When your pelvis is balanced and your baby is positioned well, your body can do what it’s designed to do with less need for medical intervention.
Dr. Swanson is careful to set realistic expectations. Chiropractic care isn’t magic. It can’t guarantee a perfect birth or prevent all complications. But it gives your body the best mechanical advantage possible. Your pelvis works better when it’s aligned properly. Your nervous system functions better. These factors support your body’s ability to labor and deliver your baby.
How Does Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care Support Postpartum Recovery?
Pre & postnatal chiropractic care supports postpartum recovery by realigning your pelvis after the trauma of delivery, addressing new pain from constantly holding and feeding your baby, helping your core muscles recover, supporting pelvic floor healing, and treating the physical stress of sleep deprivation and the demands of newborn care. Your body needs help healing after growing and delivering a baby.
Labor and delivery create physical trauma regardless of how your baby was born. Vaginal delivery stretches your pelvic floor, shifts your tailbone, and can misalign your sacrum and pubic bone. C-section involves cutting through abdominal muscles and creates its own alignment issues. Both routes to motherhood require recovery and rehabilitation.
Your pelvis shifted dramatically during delivery—that’s how your baby got out. But it doesn’t always return to its pre-pregnancy position on its own. Postpartum adjustments help guide your pelvis back to proper alignment. This reduces pain, improves stability, and helps prevent chronic problems that can last years after delivery.
New mothers develop completely new pain patterns. Constantly bending over cribs, changing tables, and car seats stresses your lower back. Nursing or bottle-feeding for hours each day creates neck and shoulder tension. Carrying your baby on one hip throws your whole body out of alignment. Sleep deprivation makes everything worse because your body can’t heal properly without rest.
Diastasis recti—the separation of your abdominal muscles during pregnancy—affects most women to some degree. While chiropractic doesn’t directly fix diastasis recti, proper spinal and pelvic alignment supports the rehabilitation exercises your pelvic floor physical therapist teaches you. Your core can’t strengthen properly if your foundation isn’t aligned.
Pelvic floor problems after delivery—pain, incontinence, prolapse—often involve more than just weak muscles. Your pelvis, sacrum, and tailbone alignment affects how your pelvic floor functions. Adjustments addressing these structures support your pelvic floor recovery, especially when combined with proper pelvic floor physical therapy.
The emotional stress of new motherhood manifests physically. Anxiety and depression can increase muscle tension. Lack of sleep impairs healing. Stress affects how your nervous system functions. Regular adjustments support your nervous system, which can help you manage stress better and feel more balanced during this challenging transition.
Most new moms around Austin wait too long to address postpartum pain. They assume it’s just part of being a new parent. But you don’t have to hurt while caring for your baby. Feeling better physically helps you show up as the parent you want to be. Your baby needs you healthy and functional, not exhausted and in pain.
Why Choose Dr. Swanson for Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care in Austin?
You should choose Dr. Swanson for pre & postnatal chiropractic care in Austin because his specialized prenatal training, Palmer College education, certification in acupuncture, and experience treating hundreds of pregnant and postpartum women gives him the expertise to address the full range of pregnancy-related issues safely and effectively. He understands what pregnant bodies need and how to provide it.
His prenatal training specifically prepared him to work with pregnant women at all stages. He learned pregnancy-safe adjusting techniques, how to position women comfortably with their growing bellies, the Webster Technique for pelvic balance, and how to recognize when a pregnant patient needs referral back to her OB for medical issues beyond chiropractic scope.
Palmer College of Chiropractic gave him the foundational education in spinal biomechanics and adjustment techniques. Making their Dean’s List and serving as a Clinical Teaching Assistant demonstrates his mastery of these skills. But he didn’t stop there—he pursued additional education specifically focused on prenatal and postpartum care.
His certification in acupuncture through the Acupuncture Society of America provides additional options for managing pregnancy symptoms. Some women prefer acupuncture for nausea, anxiety, or preparing their body for labor. Having both chiropractic and acupuncture available means he can customize treatment based on your needs and preferences.
He’s treated hundreds of pregnant women throughout their pregnancies and into the postpartum period. He knows what normal pregnancy discomfort looks like versus symptoms that need medical attention. He understands how bodies respond to treatment at different stages. He can give you realistic expectations about what care can and can’t do.
The office environment accommodates pregnant women. The table has special cushions for your belly. Appointments are scheduled with enough time that you never feel rushed. The staff understands pregnancy brain and hormonal emotions. Many pregnant patients comment that they feel truly cared for, not just processed through an appointment.
Dr. Swanson works collaboratively with your OB or midwife. He can communicate with your birth team if questions arise about your care. He respects that your medical provider is in charge of your pregnancy—chiropractic supports your medical care rather than competing with it.
His family’s commitment to Austin healthcare includes his brothers Dr. Jeff Swanson in Cedar Park and Dr. Jon Swanson in Bee Cave. All three learned from Palmer College and share the philosophy of helping people improve their health naturally. Pregnant women are a special population they’re all trained to serve well.
How Can You Get Started with Pre & Postnatal Chiropractic Care in Austin?
You can get started with pre & postnatal chiropractic care in Austin by calling Dr. Swanson’s office to schedule your initial prenatal evaluation—no referral needed—where he’ll assess your current alignment, discuss your pregnancy symptoms and goals, create a customized treatment plan that works with your stage of pregnancy, and begin care to help you feel better right away. Don’t suffer through pregnancy pain when relief is available.
Call (512) 452-2525 today to schedule your appointment. The office can typically get you in within a few days, which means you can start feeling better quickly instead of waiting weeks while your pain gets worse.
Bring any information from your OB about your pregnancy—due date, any complications or risk factors, whether you’re having a boy or girl if you know. This helps Dr. Swanson understand your situation fully. But don’t delay calling if you don’t have all this information. He can work with whatever you know and contact your OB if needed.
Most insurance plans cover chiropractic care during pregnancy just like any other time. The office will verify your coverage before your visit so you know what to expect financially. If you don’t have insurance or your plan doesn’t cover care, they offer payment plans that make treatment affordable.
Your first visit includes a thorough examination of your spine and pelvis, discussion of your symptoms and pregnancy history, and usually your first adjustment if appropriate. Dr. Swanson explains what he finds, what he recommends, and why. You’re involved in all decisions about your care.
Many Austin women wish they’d started prenatal chiropractic earlier in their pregnancy. The sooner you address discomfort and alignment issues, the better you feel throughout the rest of your pregnancy. If you’re already in your third trimester, you haven’t missed the window—starting now still provides significant benefits.
If you just had your baby and you’re dealing with postpartum pain, don’t assume you have to wait months before seeking care. The sooner you address alignment issues after delivery, the faster you heal. Many new moms come in within their first few weeks postpartum and notice dramatic improvement in how they feel.
Growing and delivering a baby is the hardest physical thing many women ever do. Your body deserves support through this amazing process. Pre & postnatal chiropractic care helps you stay comfortable during pregnancy, prepares your body for labor, and supports your recovery after delivery.
You don’t have to hurt through nine months of pregnancy and struggle through postpartum recovery. Relief is available. Start feeling better today.