Pregnancy puts your body through more change in nine months than most people experience in years. Your posture shifts, pelvis widens, and the centre of gravity moves forward. Through it all, your spine, joints, and muscles are quietly working overtime. If you’re feeling the strain in your lower back, your hips, your pelvis, or even your neck — you’re not imagining it.
At My Chiropractic Place, our pregnancy chiropractors in Melbourne have been supporting expectant mothers through exactly this since 2005, from our clinics in Richmond and Caroline Springs. We use the Gonstead Chiropractic approach — a precise, evidence-informed method that’s well-suited to the specific demands of prenatal care and every visit is tailored to where you are in your pregnancy.
Pregnancy triggers a cascade of physiological changes. Most of them are completely normal. But that doesn’t mean they’re comfortable — especially on your spine, pelvis, and joints. Here’s what’s actually happening:
Your centre of gravity moves forward, increasing the natural curve of your lower spine and placing extra strain and force through the lower spinal joints.
The hormone relaxin loosens your joints, increasing mobility while reducing stability. This can aggravate previous joint injuries and amplify pelvic imbalances throughout the body.
Your growing baby and increased foetal movement create an expansion of the lower rib cage, which can aggravate the mid-spine joints connected to your ribs.
Increased breast size in preparation for lactation puts additional strain on the upper thoracic joints.
Your walking pattern changes as your gait widens, creating variation in skeletal joint and muscle mobility. This commonly aggravates the pelvic joints, hip joints, and sciatic nerves.
Your shoulder posture adjusts to offset the shift in your centre of gravity, which can cause a loss of the normal neck curve — and lead to persistent headaches.
Chiropractic care can help you better manage these changes as your pregnancy progresses. Not by stopping them, they’re supposed to happen — but by supporting your body to move through them with less pain and better function.
These are the most common reasons pregnant women come to us at our Richmond and Caroline Springs clinics. If you’re experiencing any of the following, you’re in good company:
Every patient presents differently. What’s causing your discomfort may not be the same as the woman sitting next to you in the waiting room. That’s why we assess each patient as an individual before recommending any care.
This is the question we’re asked most often — and it deserves a direct answer.
Chiropractic is a non-invasive, drug-free discipline, meaning the risks associated with it are very low. Adverse events are rare, and our chiropractor will assess you individually for any risks before commencing care.
In general, there are no increased risks or side effects with chiropractic care for pregnant women.
Our chiropractor will use special techniques and table modifications to avoid any unnecessary pressure on the abdomen. Even in the third trimester, our pregnancy tables allow you to lie face down comfortably — something most patients don’t expect to be possible.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy, placenta previa, pre-eclampsia, or any complications, please speak with your obstetrician or midwife before booking. We’re happy to liaise with your care team directly if that’s helpful.
We work alongside your GP, midwife, and obstetric team. Chiropractic care is a support to your broader pregnancy care — not a replacement for it.
If you’ve never seen a chiropractor before, the first visit can feel like a bit of a mystery. Here’s exactly what happens:
Dr Nam Nguyen and Dr David Addie together bring 49 years of chiropractic experience between them, both holding double bachelor’s degrees from RMIT University and having been members of the Australian Gonstead Chiropractic Society for over two decades. You’re in experienced hands.
My Chiropractic Place has two convenient locations in Melbourne:
Richmond — our inner-city clinic has been serving the Richmond community since 2005, making it easy to access from the CBD and surrounding inner suburbs.
Caroline Springs — established in 2007, our western suburbs clinic was the first chiropractic practice to serve the Caroline Springs community. It remains a trusted part of the local healthcare landscape.
Both clinics are set up specifically to accommodate pregnant patients, including pregnancy-friendly chiropractic care tables and flexible appointment times. We keep our schedule deliberately open to minimise waiting times — and you can contact our practitioners directly if you have questions before booking.
Yes. Many women begin chiropractic care early in pregnancy as a proactive step rather than waiting until pain sets in. Our approach is adapted to your stage of pregnancy from the very first visit, whether you're eight weeks or thirty-eight weeks along.
This depends on your symptoms and how your body responds. Some patients benefit from fortnightly visits; others find monthly check-ins are enough. We'll give you an honest recommendation at your initial appointment — and you're always free to adjust the frequency as your pregnancy progresses.
No referral is needed. You can book directly. We do encourage you to let your GP or midwife know you're including chiropractic as part of your pregnancy care — and we're happy to communicate with them directly if it's helpful.
Chiropractors most commonly support pregnant women experiencing lower back pain, pelvic girdle pain, round ligament discomfort, sciatic pain, and neck tension. Care is always tailored to what's safe and appropriate for your individual situation — we never take a blanket approach.
Yes, we do accept Medicare Care Plans for chiropractic care from your GP. For first-time patients with a Care Plan, there is a $50 gap payable upon the initial consultation, and a $20 gap payable on subsequent Care Plan consultations.
Book a consultation at My Chiropractic Place in Melbourne. Our experienced pregnancy chiropractors are here to support you — at whatever stage you’re at, and whatever your goals are.
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