When you are a Chiropractor who treats maternity patients, you see more than your share of low back pain. Though many people are aware of how Chiropractic can help their back, most people aren't aware of the specialized techniques designed for the pelvis. 

Pregnant women the world over experience pelvic pain and imbalance, sometimes called dystocia, during their pregnancies. Many accept it as a necessary evil of the process, but it doesn't have to be. Though chiropractic care in general can reduce pelvic dystocia during pregnancy, focused treatments like those in Webster Technique have shown to have even greater benefit than traditional chiropractic alone.

What is Webster Technique?
Webster is a gentle adjusting technique that focuses on the sacrum and its surrounding ligaments, including those which relate to the uterus, in order to balance the sacrum and pelvis of an expectant mother. This balanced pelvis, in turn, reduces tension and torsion on the ligaments of the uterus, which may offer the uterus more potential for optimal fetal positioning. 

Happy pelvis means happy uterus, which means happy baby. 

Though the goal of Webster is not specifically to optimize fetal positioning, this is often a happy consequence of balancing the uterine constraints. In fact, research shows that in 82% of cases where the mother presented with a Breech fetus, that Webster technique ultimately resulted in resolution of breech presentation. 

Thats 82% of Breech Babies who flipped all on their own when mom's pelvis was balanced correctly. 

Now, even though the research on Webster refers specifically to breech position, there is plenty of clinical evidence to suggest that other less-than-ideal fetal positions may be affected by Webster Technique for the expectant mother. In my practice, I have seen transverse, side-settled, and even sunny-side-up babies find their way to optimal positioning after their mothers have a balanced pelvis through Webster Technique. 

Unfortunately, we can't win them all, and there are still cases with little or no success. However, the sooner you start treating pelvic dystocia, the more time you have to attain balance before the critical 8th month when a cesarean section is more likely to be scheduled. 

Now, I fully admit that I am biased toward Webster Technique, because at the 11th hour, it changed the course of my own labor and delivery. You can read more about it here, in a testimonial I wrote to my Professor of Webster Technique (taught within Logan Basic Technique at my alma mater).  

Also, if you're concerned about optimal fetal positioning, check out Spinning Babies!

Reference: Pistolese, Richard A. “The Webster Technique: A Chiropractic Technique with Obstetric Implications.” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 25, no. 6, 2002, pp. 1–9., doi:10.1067/mmt.2002.126127.  View Article.