Your First Chiropractic Appointment Should Start with Understanding You
Pregnancy and the months after birth bring enormous changes to your body. Whether you’re experiencing back or pelvic pain, preparing for birth, recovering postpartum, or simply wanting support as your body adapts, your first chiropractic appointment should start with understanding you.
At Rise Chiropractic in Cape Town, our perinatal appointments look beyond the area that hurts. We consider your pregnancy or birth history, movement, spine and pelvic function, pelvic floor symptoms, lifestyle and, importantly, your goals for care.
What happens at your first perinatal chiropractic appointment?
Your first pregnancy or postpartum chiropractic appointment includes a detailed case history, a physical assessment of your spine, pelvis and surrounding muscles and joints, a pelvic floor symptom screening, and a conversation about your goals. Your chiropractor will explain what they find, discuss whether chiropractic care may be appropriate and refer to another healthcare professional when additional support is needed.
We start by listening to your story.
Before we assess anything, we talk.
If you’re pregnant, we’ll ask about your current pregnancy, previous pregnancies and births where relevant, your general health, activity levels, work and daily demands, and any pain or changes you’ve noticed.
We also want to understand what you’re hoping to achieve from your care.
For one mom, the goal might be walking comfortably without pelvic pain. Another may want support with lower back, hip or rib discomfort as her pregnancy progresses. And some moms come to us feeling well, but want to be proactive about preparing their body for birth.
As birth approaches, we can shift some of our focus towards supporting comfortable movement through the pelvis, hips and surrounding muscles and helping your body prepare for the physical demands of labour. Around Rise, we sometimes call this working towards a “luxury pelvis”, a pelvis that can move freely and comfortably, with the hips and surrounding tissues able to adapt through the different positions and movements of labour.
If you’re postpartum, the goal changes again. We’ll talk about your pregnancy and birth experience, your recovery so far, feeding positions, carrying and lifting your baby, sleep, exercise and anything that perhaps doesn’t feel quite right since having your baby. From there, we can focus on helping your body recover from pregnancy and birth while adapting to the very real physical demands of caring for a new baby.
Your goals help guide our care.
What does a pregnancy chiropractor assess?
Your physical assessment is tailored to your stage of pregnancy and the reason you’ve come to see us.
Rather than simply examining the area that hurts, we look at how different parts of your body are moving and working together.
Your assessment may include your:
- Posture and general movement
- Spine and pelvic movement
- Hip mobility
- Sacroiliac joints
- Muscles and surrounding soft tissues
- Breathing and movement strategies
- Areas of discomfort, tension, restriction or compensation
- During pregnancy, we pay particular attention to the pelvis, hips, spine and surrounding soft tissues as they adapt to your changing body.
Our goal isn’t to suggest that your pelvis is “out” or needs to be put back into place. Instead, we’re looking for musculoskeletal factors that may be contributing to discomfort or affecting how you move.
As birth approaches, this assessment can also help us identify areas of mobility, strength or function that may benefit from support as your body prepares for the physical demands of labour and birth.
Do we assess the pelvic floor during pregnancy?
Yes. Pelvic health is relevant during both pregnancy and postpartum recovery, which is why pelvic floor symptom screening forms part of our perinatal assessment at Rise.
This does not involve an internal pelvic floor examination.
Instead, your chiropractor will ask some simple questions to identify symptoms that may indicate that a more comprehensive assessment with a pelvic health physiotherapist would be beneficial.
We may ask about symptoms such as:
- Leaking urine when coughing, sneezing, exercising or jumping
- Pelvic heaviness, pressure or a dragging sensation
- Pelvic, pubic or tailbone pain
- Difficulty controlling your bladder or bowel
- Pain or discomfort with intercourse
- Difficulty relaxing or coordinating the pelvic floor
- Concerns about returning to exercise
- And you don’t have to wait until after you’ve had your baby to start thinking about your pelvic floor.
Pregnancy itself places changing demands on the pelvic floor. Identifying symptoms during pregnancy means we can recommend additional support when appropriate, including referral to a pelvic health physiotherapist for specialist assessment and management.
What does a postpartum chiropractic assessment include?
Your postpartum body deserves its own assessment.
Pregnancy and birth are significant physical experiences, and the weeks and months afterwards introduce a completely new set of demands, feeding, carrying, lifting, bending, pushing a pram and often doing all of this on interrupted sleep.
During a postpartum appointment, we may assess your spine, pelvis, hips, midline separation (diastases recti), movement and surrounding muscles while considering how your body is managing these new demands.
We’ll also ask about your pelvic floor, return to movement and exercise, and your overall recovery.
If your symptoms suggest that another healthcare professional should be involved, particularly a pelvic health physiotherapist, we’ll discuss this with you.
What treatment might you receive?
There isn’t one standard “pregnancy adjustment” that every mom receives.
Your care is individualised according to your assessment, stage of pregnancy or postpartum recovery, goals and what you feel comfortable with.
When appropriate, care may include gentle chiropractic adjustments, soft-tissue techniques, mobility work and practical advice around movement, positioning or exercises you can use at home. Our chiropractors also incorporate pregnancy-specific approaches, including the Webster Technique, where appropriate. The Webster Technique is not a technique for “turning” a breech baby. It is a chiropractic assessment and technique used during pregnancy with a focus on the pelvis and associated soft tissues.
More than treating the sore spot
Sometimes you come to us because something hurts, and helping you manage that problem matters. But our perinatal approach also asks a bigger question:
How can we support your body to move and function as well as possible during the stage you’re in?
During pregnancy, this may mean supporting comfortable movement and addressing musculoskeletal concerns as your body adapts and prepares for the physical demands of labour and birth.
After birth, the focus shifts towards recovery and helping your body manage the repetitive demands of early motherhood, with an appropriate and gradual return to movement and exercise.
Sometimes the best care involves a team
We believe good perinatal healthcare is collaborative.
Chiropractic care isn’t the answer to every pregnancy or postpartum concern, and part of our role is recognising when another healthcare professional may be better placed to help.
Depending on what comes up during your history and assessment, this might mean recommending input from your:
- Pelvic health physiotherapist
- Midwife
- Obstetrician or GP
- Lactation consultant
- Exercise or rehabilitation professional
- Other appropriate healthcare provider
- Sometimes we refer because we’ve identified something requiring specialist assessment. Other times, another professional can simply add something valuable to your care.
We don’t need to be everything to every mom. We want to help you find the right support for you.
What should you wear or bring to your appointment?
There is very little you need to do to prepare.
Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move easily. If you have relevant scans, reports or medical information that you’d like your chiropractor to see, you’re welcome to bring those with you.
Most importantly, bring your questions.
Your first appointment is as much about understanding what’s happening in your body and discussing your options as it is about treatment.
Perinatal chiropractic care at Rise Chiropractic
Rise Chiropractic is a family-focused chiropractic practice in Cape Town with a special interest in caring for women during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as babies and children.
Our approach is individualised, evidence-informed and collaborative. We aim to work alongside the other healthcare professionals involved in your pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery rather than viewing chiropractic care in isolation.
Our goal is for you to leave your first appointment feeling heard, informed and with a clearer understanding of your body and the next steps in your care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be in pain to see a chiropractor during pregnancy?
No. While many women initially seek chiropractic care because of back, pelvic, hip or other musculoskeletal discomfort, pain isn’t the only reason someone may choose to have an assessment. Some women want guidance around movement and function as their body changes or as they approach birth.
Does a chiropractor perform an internal pelvic floor examination?
No. At Rise, our chiropractors perform a pelvic floor symptom screening, not an internal pelvic floor examination. If your history or symptoms suggest that a more detailed assessment would be beneficial, we may recommend seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist.
Can I see a chiropractor after having my baby?
Yes. Postpartum chiropractic appointments take your pregnancy, birth and recovery into consideration. Assessment may include your spine, pelvis, hips, movement, feeding and carrying demands and pelvic floor symptoms. Care is then tailored to your individual recovery and goals.
What is the Webster Technique?
The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and technique commonly used when caring for pregnant women. It focuses on the pelvis and associated soft tissues. It is not a technique for turning breech babies, and chiropractors do not manually reposition babies using the Webster Technique.
Already booked your first perinatal appointment? We look forward to welcoming you to Rise.
Rise Chiropractic, Family-centred chiropractic care for every season of life.