New Research Highlights the Role of Chiropractic Care in Breech Pregnancy Through Midwife Collaboration
Originally published: 2025-06-30
ATLANTA, Georgia – 2025
A new study has been published in the Journal of Pediatric Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic documents the successful chiropractic care of a pregnant woman with breech fetal positioning. The literature review included supports the role of chiropractic in those suffering from these related health challenges and calls for more research in this area.
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“This case highlights how structural and soft tissue imbalances can impede fetal movement,” said Matthew McCoy DC, MPH Editor of the journal that published the study. “Through the use of chiropractic care and close midwife collaboration, they saw a successful resolution without surgical intervention.”
The nervous system controls and coordinates all body functions, and when subluxations occur, they can disrupt communication between the brain and body, including the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis. By restoring proper spinal alignment and improving nerve function, chiropractic care helps balance the pelvis and reduce tension in the supporting structures of the uterus. This improved alignment and neurological function can support the baby in achieving an optimal position for birth, making chiropractic a safe, non-invasive co-management option for pregnant women with breech presentations.
The report is one of few to explore the possible role of the psoas minor muscle as a mechanical barrier in utero and underscores the potential of interprofessional collaboration in optimizing maternal and fetal outcomes.
A 39-year-old woman with a history of two previous pregnancies twice and one birth at 36 weeks and 5 days gestation presented for chiropractic care with a breech fetal presentation. Initially diagnosed with a transverse lie at 34 weeks and footling breech at 36 weeks, she also reported chronic low back pain (L4–S1), bilateral hip pain, and groin discomfort. Previous chiropractic care during her first pregnancy had provided symptom relief.
Prior to seeking chiropractic care, the patient had attempted home exercises from the Spinning Babies® protocol with limited fetal movement noted. Chiropractic examination revealed subluxations at sacrum and lumbar spine. Care included spinal and pelvic adjustments, round ligament and psoas minor muscle releases, and supportive body positioning techniques (e.g., forward-leaning inversion, side-lying release, Rebozo Manteada).
Following chiropractic, a previously unsuccessful external cephalic version (ECV) was repeated by her midwife. ECV is when the baby is turned from the outside and it’s a procedure that doctors or midwives use to try to turn a baby from a bottom-down or sideways position into a head-down position before birth. They gently press on the mother’s belly to help the baby rotate into the best position for a vaginal delivery.
After releasing fascial tension involving the psoas minor muscle, the fetal cranium successfully passed the obstruction and assumed a vertex position. The patient later delivered vaginally, though the baby was born in an occiput posterior position, suggesting residual uterine tension possibly related to the left psoas minor.
This case highlights the potential role of chiropractic care and myofascial structures, like the psoas minor, in influencing fetal positioning and optimizing conditions for vaginal birth through collaborative care.
The study’s authors called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in this population.
The full case report is available online:
Contact Information:
Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net
954.281.2638
