Your body is making room for a new life. Your comfort deserves attention, too.
Pregnancy changes how you stand, walk, rest and move through your day. When back or pelvic discomfort makes turning in bed, climbing stairs or getting through work more difficult, an individualized evaluation can help you understand your options.
At Last Chiropractic offers pregnancy and postpartum chiropractic care in Lithia, near FishHawk. Dr. Carissa Taylor brings Webster Technique certification and advanced perinatal and pediatric training to care designed around your stage of pregnancy, examination findings and comfort.
Our goal is practical: help you address relevant musculoskeletal concerns, understand your changing body and feel more confident about your next steps.
Understanding Your Changing Pelvis
Your pelvic girdle forms a ring at the base of your spine. The sacrum connects with the pelvic bones at the two sacroiliac joints in the back. At the front, the pubic symphysis joins the two sides of the pelvis. These joints normally allow small amounts of movement while helping transfer weight between your trunk and legs.
As pregnancy progresses, changing weight distribution and posture can increase the demands on this region. Pelvic girdle pain may be felt around the lower back, buttocks, hips, groin or pubic area. Walking, standing on one leg and rolling over in bed can become uncomfortable.
These symptoms do not automatically mean that your pelvis is “out of place.” Your assessment helps us consider joint movement, muscular support and the activities that reproduce your discomfort.
Read RCOG’s guide to pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy.
The Spine, Muscles and Nervous System Work Together
Movement involves more than the position of a bone. Your nervous system receives information from muscles and joints and helps coordinate the muscular responses that support you as you move. Our examination considers movement, sensitivity, strength and relevant neurologic findings alongside your symptoms.
For you, that means an appointment focused on how your body is functioning: which movements feel restricted, what positions are uncomfortable and what changes would make everyday life easier. Care recommendations follow those findings.
What Is the Webster Technique?
The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic assessment and adjustment approach focused on the sacrum and sacroiliac joint function. The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association describes its purpose in terms of improving function in the sacral and pelvic region.
At Last Chiropractic, Dr. Carissa uses Webster when the examination supports its use. Positioning, support and the adjustment approach are adapted to your stage of pregnancy and comfort. The focus is your pelvic mechanics and physical function.
Learn about the Webster Technique directly from the ICPA.
What If My Baby Is Breech?
You may have heard about Webster because your baby is breech. The technique is directed at the mother’s sacral and pelvic function; it does not involve manually turning the baby or applying pressure to move the baby into position.
Some families and chiropractors have reported babies moving head-down during a period of chiropractic care. Babies also turn naturally as pregnancy progresses, so a change in position during care does not establish that an adjustment caused it. Research has not established that improving pelvic alignment through Webster increases the likelihood of a head-down position.
Our reason for recommending an adjustment remains the findings in your examination—not a promise to change your baby’s position. Your obstetrician or midwife should continue to monitor fetal position and discuss time-sensitive options, including external cephalic version when appropriate. Chiropractic care should not delay those conversations.
Learn about breech positioning and your maternity-care options.
What Does Pregnancy Research Show?
ICPA Research: Patient Experience and Daily Function
A 2018 study by ICPA-affiliated researchers followed 343 pregnant patients receiving chiropractic care that included Webster, spinal adjustments and additional therapies. Participants reported high satisfaction, with improvements in measures of pain interference, fatigue, sleep disturbance and satisfaction with social roles.
This offers encouraging information about patients’ experiences. Because the study was observational and involved a combination of care, it cannot establish that Webster alone produced the changes or predict an individual patient’s outcome.
Read the ICPA-affiliated pregnancy study.
Pregnancy-Related Low-Back Pain
A separate 2014 prospective study enrolled 115 pregnant patients with low-back pain receiving chiropractic treatment. The researchers reported improvement in 70% at one month and 85% at three months. Without an untreated comparison group, the study could not separate treatment effects from other influences on recovery.
These findings support discussing chiropractic care as one option for pregnancy-related musculoskeletal concerns. They are not a success-rate promise for our practice or evidence that care changes a baby’s position.
Read the pregnancy-related low-back pain study.
Postpartum Care: Attention for You, Too
After your baby arrives, your daily routine changes again. Feeding positions, lifting a car seat, carrying your baby and returning to work or exercise may bring new questions about back, neck or pelvic comfort.
A postpartum visit gives you space to discuss those concerns. We review your delivery and recovery, any complications or activity restrictions, and the movements that feel difficult. The timing and type of care are individualized, including after a cesarean delivery.
Recommendations may include chiropractic care for relevant joint concerns, practical movement and positioning advice, or coordination with a pelvic-health physical therapist or your maternity-care team. The aim is to support your everyday function as you recover.
Meet Dr. Carissa Taylor
Dr. Carissa Taylor holds Webster Technique certification, ICPA Perinatal Certification and the CACCP credential through the ICPA and Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics. Her advanced training informs the way she evaluates and adapts care for pregnant patients, postpartum mothers and children.
Your visit is an opportunity to ask questions, discuss your preferences and understand the reasoning behind your recommendations.
Meet our chiropractic team or explore ICPA training programs.
What to Expect at Your Visit
We begin with your health history, pregnancy or postpartum history, current concerns and goals. Your examination is adapted to your stage of pregnancy or recovery and focuses on relevant movement, joint, muscle and neurologic findings.
At your report of findings, we explain the examination results, discuss your options and answer your questions before you decide about treatment. If care is recommended, we discuss expected benefits, potential risks and how progress will be monitored.
Chiropractic care complements your obstetric and postpartum care; it does not replace it. Recommendations are coordinated with your maternity-care team when needed.
Pregnancy and Postpartum Chiropractic Care Near FishHawk
You do not have to wait until discomfort takes over your day to ask about your options. Whether you are navigating pregnancy or settling into life with your new baby, we welcome the opportunity to discuss your needs.
At Last Chiropractic is located at 5611 Skytop Drive in Lithia, near FishHawk West. We welcome patients from Lithia, FishHawk, Riverview, Brandon, Valrico and surrounding communities.
Explore your new-patient visit or call 813-461-6500 to request a pregnancy or postpartum consultation.
Looking for information about care for your child? Visit our family and pediatric care page.