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From the March 11, 2008, issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR), comes a case study involving a pregnant woman who was suffering from back pain and sought out chiropractic care. This was her third pregnancy, and the previous two pregnancies had resulted in cesarean births. The 29-year-old woman was hoping to deliver this baby vaginally.

In this case, the woman started chiropractic care in her 34th week of pregnancy because of back pain. She reported experiencing on-and-off lower back pain throughout her pregnancy. She had also had similar issues in the third trimester of her previous pregnancy.

A chiropractic examination was performed, and subluxations were identified. Care focused mainly on the lower spine. On the patient’s fourth visit, she reported that her low back pain had improved significantly and that she was “getting around better” than before starting care.

In the 40th week of her pregnancy, the woman went into labor. She labored for 12 hours at home with her husband before going to the hospital. Although she reported that the medical staff was extremely anxious due to her previous birth history, she delivered a healthy baby girl naturally and without the use of medications or a cesarean procedure, as had been the case in her prior births.

The study authors, Joel Alcantara, BSc, DC, and Ingrid Hamel, DC, FICPA, concluded, “This case report described the successful chiropractic management of a patient with pregnancy-related low back pain and possibly facilitated a successful vaginal birth despite two previous cesareans.”