Chiroblog

Pregnancy is a time of many physical changes, and some expectant mothers may experience discomfort or challenges with fetal positioning. The Webster Technique, a chiropractic method developed by Dr. Larry Webster from Life University in Marietta, Georgia, aims to gently align the pelvis and reduce tension in surrounding muscles and ligaments. The Webster Technique focuses on improving the biomechanics of the sacrum and pelvis, which creates a more balanced environment for the baby and can, as Dr. Webster used to say, “give the pelvis more room.” [icpa4kids.com], [vertebrals…search.com]

Research supports the Webster Technique’s effectiveness in helping pregnant mom’s with babies in a non-optimal birth position.  A survey published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that 92% of pregnancies showed improvement following Webster Technique adjustments during the last months of pregnancy. Similarly, a practice-based study involving 81 pregnant women showed that about 70% of them had significant improvements after receiving the technique. Multiple case reports over the years, including a 2025 case report, documented that a woman at 37 weeks’ gestation had great results with the Webster Technique.  [spinecentral.co.uk] [vertebrals…search.com] [vertebrals…search.com]

Beyond encouraging optimal fetal position, the Webster Technique can ease pregnancy-related discomfort by relieving pelvic and sacral stress. Many pregnant women report lower back and hip pain relief following treatment. The consistency of positive outcomes makes the Webster Technique a valuable, gentle, and non-invasive option for prenatal care.  

One of our favorite recent cases was a pregnant mom at 41 weeks who was referred to the office by her Ob/Gyn on a Wednesday night for her first ever visit to a chiropractor.  After a detailed exam, we provided her a gentle Webster-based adjustment.  The following day, we received a text from the mom, who said that she went into labor a few hours after the adjustment, and had a natural delivery the next morning!  She texted us a beautiful picture of her and her newborn.  What a celebration!  This just shows that chiropractic can be an amazing intervention for our pregnant moms at any stage of their pregnancy.

When you think about your spine, you probably picture it as the backbone of your body—literally. But did you know that this incredible structure has been evolving for hundreds of millions of years? The story begins with simple aquatic creatures that had nothing more than a flexible rod called a notochord. Over time, that rod transformed into segmented vertebrae, giving rise to the first vertebrates. These early innovations allowed animals to move more efficiently and protect their nervous systems, setting the stage for everything from fish to mammals—and eventually, us. The spine allows for greater flexibility and protection for the spinal cord, but it also is very vulnerable to injury (which is why chiropractic was eventually created in 1895!).

As life moved from water to land, the spine had to adapt to new challenges. Early reptiles and synapsids (our distant ancestors) developed specialized regions in their spines, like thoracic and lumbar sections, to handle twisting, bending, and weight-bearing. This was a game-changer for locomotion. Later, mammals refined these features even further, creating a spine that could support running, climbing, and eventually walking upright. Researchers using advanced imaging and computer modeling have shown how these changes weren’t just about strength—they were about flexibility and balance too. And as the spine evolved, so did our brains…to adapt to walking on 2 feet, we had to create more complicated brains to allow us to use our hands for more complex things and our feet and back for support. 

Fast forward to humans, and the spine takes on its most unique role yet: supporting bipedalism. Standing on two legs required new curves in the spine to keep us balanced and upright. But here’s the catch—those adaptations came with trade-offs. Studies show that our vertebrae are more vulnerable to issues like lower back pain and osteoporosis compared to our primate cousins. Plus childbirth had to change, since the human pelvis is much smaller than most mammals…hence our baby’s come into the world with brains that aren’t completely grown, to make birthing a human baby somewhat easier.  However, that makes our spine, brain and nerve system even more vulnerable.

Hopefully this is a fascinating reminder that evolution isn’t about perfection; it’s about making do with what works best for survival. So next time your back aches, you can thank millions of years of evolutionary engineering for getting you here!  And thank your chiropractor for helping keep your spine, brain and nerve system as healthy as possible!

Further Reading

• Journal of Human Evolution – The evolution of spinal morphology in hominins
• Nature Reviews Rheumatology – Spinal disorders and evolutionary trade-offs in humans
• Evolution & Development – Origin and diversification of vertebral elements in vertebrates
• Proceedings of the Royal Society B – Functional evolution of the mammalian axial skeleton
• Journal of Anatomy – Comparative morphology of lumbar vertebrae in primates and early mammals
• Science Advances – Synapsid trunk evolution and the origins of mammalian flexibility
• The 4 billion year path to human evolution:  https://www.visualcapitalist.com/path-of-human-evolution/

The human brain doesn’t mature all at once—it develops in a very organized way. According to Dr. Robert Melillo, this process starts from the bottom and works its way up. Early in life, the brainstem and lower regions control basic survival functions (like eating, swallowing and breathing) and reflexes. These primitive reflexes, like grasping or rooting, are essential for newborns but should fade as higher brain areas develop. As the cortex matures, it begins to exert “top-down” control, calming these reflexes and allowing more voluntary, purposeful movements.

Another fascinating aspect of brain development is how each hemisphere takes turns leading the way. In the first two years (from birth until age 2), the right side of the brain grows more rapidly, supporting sensory processing, emotional regulation, and spatial awareness. The goal in the first 2 years of brain development is more ‘big picture’; having the child learn who they are and what they are doing here.  Then, during the next two years, the left hemisphere takes the spotlight, driving language skills and analytical thinking. The goal in the 2^nd two years is gathering and expanding detailed information on all the stuff that was processed in the first 2 years.  This balanced progression is crucial for healthy cognitive and motor development.

Recent research adds even more insight. A study called Sensing Echoes by Torres shows that a simple newborn hearing test—the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)—can reveal subtle delays in brain signal timing. These delays may predict which children are at risk for autism, making ABR a powerful early screening tool. Similarly, Leisman and Melillo’s work on primitive reflexes suggests that if these reflexes linger beyond infancy, they could signal developmental challenges like ADHD or autism. Identifying these markers early gives parents and clinicians a chance to intervene sooner, supporting better outcomes for children.

We are pediatric specialist chiropractic office and looking for retained primitive reflexes (RPRs) is foundational in what we examine in children.  We have found that children with more RPRs generally have more challenges, and between chiropractic adjustments and home-based neurological exercises, children can gain focus, improve calmness, have less outbursts, and generally become happier and healthier kiddos!

References: 

https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/2/2/pgac315/7035935 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpc.70053