Prenatal & Pediatric Chiropractic Care: What the Research Shows

Pregnancy puts real strain on your spine and pelvis, and growing kids run into their own share of aches, tension, and developmental bumps. At Asa Wellness Center, Dr. Kayle Martinsen offers chiropractic care adapted for both — gentle, evaluation-based, and never a one-size-fits-all adjustment.

Research on chiropractic care for pregnant patients and children is real, but it's a newer and smaller body of evidence than what exists for adult back pain. Below is what the studies actually found, along with how confident the researchers themselves were in the results.

Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

A prospective cohort study following pregnant patients receiving chiropractic care found improvements in pain, functional ability, and quality of life over the course of care, using validated outcome measures. Read the study (PMC3994225)

A systematic review with meta-analysis of chiropractic care during pregnancy found generally favorable outcomes for pain reduction. Read the review (PMC5044890)

Back pain during pregnancy carries into labor, too. In a study of 170 pregnant patients at chiropractic offices in Ontario, those who received manual care during pregnancy experienced significantly less pain during labor than those who didn't. Read the study (PMID 1826921)

In practice, this means many pregnant patients find meaningful relief from low back and pelvic pain with chiropractic care, carrying through to an easier labor.

Chiropractic Care for Infants & Children

Dr. Kayle Martinsen's own path into pediatric chiropractic started close to home: gentle, infant-specific adjustments made a real difference for his own daughter's reflux, and that experience is part of why infant and child care remains a core focus of the practice today. Every child gets a technique matched to their age and a plan built around their specific presentation — never a scaled-down version of an adult adjustment.

For unsettled, excessively crying infants, a 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis of manual therapy (19 studies, including 7 randomized trials) found moderate-strength evidence for a real reduction in crying time, with a low rate of reported adverse events: about 7 per 1,000 infants treated, versus 110 per 1,000 in infants who weren't treated (largely reflecting normal infant fussiness in both groups, not treatment-caused harm). Read the review (PMID 29371279, BMJ Open)

A broader 2019 review across infants, children, and adolescents — covering conditions from colic to torticollis to headache — found that gentle, low-velocity mobilization, the kind of technique used with children, holds up as a safe approach, with reported serious harms tied almost entirely to higher-force manipulation techniques not used on this age group. Read the review (PMID 31237917, PLoS ONE)

An earlier review focused specifically on infant colic (EXPLORE, 2011) found supportive evidence, though no sham-controlled trial has yet ruled out a placebo or natural-resolution effect — colic often improves on its own by 3–4 months regardless of treatment. Good context for setting expectations, not a reason to rule anything out. Read the review abstract

What this means in practice: gentle, low-force technique appropriate to your child's developing spine, full transparency about what the research supports, and care that's coordinated with — never a replacement for — your child's pediatrician.

What to Expect

Every visit starts with a full history and gentle evaluation appropriate to age and stage — pregnancy, infancy, or childhood. For infants specifically, adjustments use a small fraction of the pressure used on adults. Dr. Martinsen will walk you through exactly what's recommended, and why, before any treatment begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is chiropractic care safe during pregnancy?

Generally considered low-risk, and many OBs are comfortable with patients pursuing it alongside prenatal care. Dr. Martinsen will review your specific pregnancy history before starting care.

Is it safe for my baby or young child?

Yes — gentle, low-force pediatric techniques are well supported by the safety research above. Dr. Martinsen matches technique to your child's age and will walk you through exactly what to expect before anything begins.

Will this replace visits with my OB or pediatrician?

No. This is meant to complement, not replace, medical care from your OB or pediatrician.

My baby has reflux specifically — is that covered here?

Yes, and we have a dedicated post on infant reflux with more detail on that specific concern.

Ready to find out if chiropractic care is right for you or your child? Schedule an appointment online or email asawellnesscenter@gmail.com. We're located at 2405 E. Southern Ave., Suite 3, Tempe, AZ, serving Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, and the greater Phoenix area.