Prenatal massage vs prenatal chiropractic

Prenatal chiropractic focuses on the joints of the spine and pelvis, while prenatal massage works the muscles and soft tissues that strain as pregnancy progresses. A 2020 systematic review found inconclusive but favourable evidence for chiropractic care in pregnancy back pain, and the evidence behind the Webster technique for breech babies is weak. A mechanical pelvic joint pattern may suit a chiropractor or physiotherapist; muscle tension, poor sleep and stress suit prenatal massage. Keep your midwife or obstetrician informed either way.

Back and pelvic pain are some of the most common reasons pregnant clients come to see us. A Cochrane review notes that more than two-thirds of pregnant women have low back pain and almost one-fifth have pelvic pain, and that it tends to build as pregnancy advances, getting in the way of work, daily life and sleep. Prenatal massage and prenatal chiropractic are two of the most common places people turn. They do different things, and the evidence behind each is more modest than either profession’s marketing sometimes suggests.

What each one actually works on

The chiropractor works mainly on joints; the massage therapist works mainly on muscles and soft tissue.

Prenatal chiropractic. Chiropractors in Alberta are a regulated profession under the Health Professions Act, governed by the College of Chiropractors of Alberta. In pregnancy, treatment usually centres on the lower back, the sacrum and the pelvis, using adjustments and other hands-on joint techniques. Some chiropractors also use the Webster technique, a sacral and pelvic approach discussed below.

Prenatal massage. A massage therapist adapts the session to pregnancy: how you lie on the table, how much pressure is used and which areas are worked. The focus is the muscles that take the load as your posture and weight change, such as the low back, hips, buttocks, legs, shoulders and neck. It is also a chance to rest. Our page on how you lie on the table in prenatal massage explains the positioning.

	Prenatal chiropractic	Prenatal massage
Main target	Spinal and pelvic joints	Muscles and soft tissue
Typical tools	Adjustments, pelvic techniques	Hands-on soft-tissue work, adapted positioning
Regulation in Alberta	Regulated, College of Chiropractors of Alberta	Not regulated; association membership
Often chosen for	Joint-type back or pelvic pain	Muscle tension, sleep, stress, general aches

What the evidence shows for pregnancy pain

Neither option has strong evidence, and the treatments with the best support are exercise and, for pelvic pain, acupuncture.

• The Cochrane review (26 trials, 4,093 women). Adding exercise to usual prenatal care reduced low back pain and disability, though the evidence was low quality. For pelvic pain, acupuncture reduced evening pain more than exercise, with moderate-quality evidence, and both did better than usual care alone.
• A 2020 systematic review of chiropractic care options in pregnancy rated the evidence for chiropractic care in pregnancy low back pain as inconclusive but favourable, and the evidence for spinal manipulative therapy as inconclusive and unclear. Its authors concluded that conclusive evidence is lacking, although many of the interventions showed moderate or unclear but favourable results.

That means a reasonable plan often combines hands-on care for comfort with exercise for the longer run, whichever practitioner you choose.

The Webster technique and breech babies

The Webster technique should not stand in for obstetric care of a breech baby. It is a chiropractic technique aimed at the sacrum and pelvis, and the claim that it helps a breech baby turn rests on thin evidence.

• The main study was a practitioner survey. Surveys went to 1,047 members of a chiropractic paediatric association; 187 came back, and only 112 (11 percent) met the inclusion criteria. Of those, chiropractors reported breech resolution in 102 cases. These were self-reported results from practitioners, with no comparison group.
• A case report shows why screening matters. A woman at 34 weeks received seven Webster treatments over three and a half weeks. Her sacroiliac pain improved from 8 out of 10 to 3 out of 10, but the baby stayed breech. At 37 weeks her midwife found bleeding and reduced fundal height, she was diagnosed with oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid) and had an emergency caesarean. The authors urged clinicians to screen for undiagnosed conditions.

If your baby is breech, your midwife or obstetrician is the right person to plan next steps. Massage does not claim to turn a baby either.

How to choose

Match the choice to the pattern of your pain:

• Clicking, grinding or sharp pain at the front or back of the pelvis, worse walking, on stairs or standing on one leg, sounds like pelvic girdle pain. The NHS describes physiotherapy as the main treatment, and a chiropractor may be another option. Our pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy page covers it in depth.
• Achy, tight muscles in the back, hips, legs or shoulders, trouble sleeping or general stress suit prenatal massage.
• Both kinds of pain are common, and many people see both practitioners.
• Whatever you choose, tell the practitioner about any pregnancy complications, and keep your midwife or obstetrician informed.

When to contact your midwife or doctor first

Some symptoms are not for any hands-on practitioner. The NHS advises urgent contact with your midwife or doctor if back pain comes with a fever, vaginal bleeding or pain when you pee, or with pain in your side under the ribs, and it lists back pain in the second or third trimester as a possible sign of early labour. Loss of feeling in the legs, buttocks or genital area needs emergency care. Also call your midwife or doctor if pelvic pain makes it hard to move around, turn over in bed or manage stairs.

Prenatal care at Renu

Renu offers prenatal massage; we do not have a chiropractor. The practitioners on our prenatal page are Sasha Bernard, a Registered Massage Therapist with prenatal and postnatal training, Dr. Will Tanner, a Registered Massage Therapist and acupuncturist, and Aisha Mendes, a licensed esthetician.

• Prenatal massage: 60 minutes, $120, or 90 minutes, $157.
• Pre-natal Drift and Drain with Aisha: 75 minutes, $170.
• Acupuncture with Dr. Will Tanner, given the Cochrane findings on pelvic pain; mention your pregnancy when you book through our acupuncture page.

Book online through Jane. The clinic is on 19 Street NW, open seven days, with free street parking on 19 Street, which matters when getting in and out of a car becomes its own project. More detail is on our prenatal massage page.

Questions people ask

Can a chiropractor turn a breech baby?

The main evidence for the Webster technique is a mailed survey of chiropractors in which only 11 percent of surveys provided usable data, and the results were self-reported by the practitioners. A later case report described a breech baby that did not turn after seven treatments, in a pregnancy later found to have low amniotic fluid. A breech baby needs your midwife or obstetrician's care.

Is it safe to see a chiropractor while pregnant?

Chiropractors are regulated in Alberta, and many treat pregnant clients. Tell them how far along you are and about any complications, and check with your midwife or obstetrician if you have a high-risk pregnancy.

What helps pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy most?

The NHS describes physiotherapy as the main treatment, with exercises for the pelvic floor, stomach, back and hip muscles and sometimes a support belt. In a Cochrane review, acupuncture reduced evening pelvic pain more than exercise did, with moderate-quality evidence.

Can I have prenatal massage and chiropractic care in the same pregnancy?

Yes. Many people use one for joint pain and the other for muscle tension, sleep and stress. Let each practitioner know about the other, and keep your prenatal care provider in the loop.

Sources

1. Cochrane (2013): Interventions for preventing and treating pelvic and back pain in pregnancy
2. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (2020): Chiropractic care for pregnancy-related low back, pelvic girdle pain or combination pain, a systematic review
3. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (2002): The Webster technique, a chiropractic technique with obstetric implications
4. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (2013): Breech repositioning unresponsive to Webster technique, coexistence of oligohydramnios
5. Government of Alberta: Regulated health professions
6. NHS: Back pain in pregnancy
7. NHS: Pelvic pain in pregnancy

Page reviewed October 5, 2026. This page is education, not a diagnosis. For your own situation, talk to your doctor, surgeon or care team, or ask us.