Common Postpartum Aches & How Chiropractic Can Help
All of the pregnancy chiropractors at Nomad Chiropractic in Mosman have additional perinatal training and are Webster Certified. We care for mums and mums-to-be from all over Sydney including the North Shore, Northern Beaches and Greater Sydney.
Let’s talk about the physical side of postpartum that rarely gets airtime: the real aches, pains, and biomechanical challenges that can linger (or suddenly appear) in the days, weeks, and even months after birth.
From coccyx pain to "mum wrist," these issues are common—but not normal. They’re signs that your body is adjusting to the enormous transformation it’s been through. And thankfully, chiropractic care can offer safe, gentle solutions to help you move, feed, and heal with more ease.
1. Pelvic Instability and Pubic Symphysis Pain
During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin loosens the ligaments of the pelvis in preparation for birth. After birth, these ligaments don’t immediately “snap back.” If pelvic alignment is off—especially around the pubic symphysis or sacroiliac joints—you may experience:
Clicking or pain in the front of the pelvis
Sharp pain when walking, climbing stairs, or rolling over
A feeling of instability or “wobble” in the hips
Dr. Steve Williams notes that misalignments in the pelvic girdle are among the most common musculoskeletal issues seen postpartum, especially when birth involved long labour, uneven pushing positions, or instrumental delivery【Williams, 2021】.
Chiropractic care realigns the pelvis and supports the surrounding muscles to stabilize the area again. Many women notice immediate relief in walking and sleeping comfort after just a few sessions.
2. Coccyx (Tailbone) Pain
The coccyx (tailbone) is a small but significant structure at the base of your spine. During a vaginal birth—especially one that’s fast, involves forceps, or includes extended pushing—the coccyx can be compressed or shifted.
Signs of coccyx misalignment include:
Pain when sitting, especially on hard surfaces
Sharp or shooting pain during certain movements
Referred discomfort into the pelvic floor
At Nomad Chiropractic, we use low-force sacral and coccygeal adjustments to gently restore function. You don’t have to live with “sitting pain”—your body can heal, especially with the right support.
3. “Mum Wrist” (De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis)
New mums often develop pain on the thumb side of the wrist from repetitive lifting, feeding, and carrying their baby. Known as de Quervain’s, this condition presents as:
Sharp or aching pain along the wrist and forearm
Swelling or stiffness near the base of the thumb
Discomfort when lifting or rotating the wrist
While rest, bracing, and ice can help in the short term, chiropractic care addresses the biomechanical cause, often related to poor spinal or shoulder alignment and overcompensation.
We use a combination of:
Wrist and elbow adjustments
Postural correction
Nerve entrapment release techniques
Ergonomic advice for feeding and baby handling
4. Upper Back, Neck & Shoulder Pain
The postpartum slump is real. You’re spending hours feeding, holding, and rocking your baby—often in awkward positions. This leads to:
Thoracic spine stiffness
Neck tension and headaches
Rounded shoulders and upper back pain
Dr. Heidi Haavik’s work highlights how chiropractic adjustments can influence motor control and brain-body communication, making it easier for your body to adapt and move efficiently【Haavik, 2014】.
At Nomad, we help reset your postural patterns, improve alignment, and relieve the accumulated tension in your upper spine and shoulder girdle.
5. Core and Diastasis Recovery
While chiropractors don’t “treat” abdominal separation (diastasis recti), pelvic and spinal alignment plays a crucial role in core healing. When the rib cage, spine, and pelvis are aligned, intra-abdominal pressure can normalize, supporting:
Better breathing patterns
Pelvic floor coordination
Safer return to exercise
We often collaborate with women’s health physios (especially Bain Physio and The Physio Clinic in Cammeray) to ensure integrated care—and chiropractic helps set the foundation.
What We Do Differently at Nomad
At Nomad Chiropractic on Sydney’s North Shore, we understand the unique challenges of the postpartum body:
We provide baby-friendly appointments where feeding, crying, or resting are always welcome.
We use gentle, neurologically-informed adjustments suited for early recovery.
We empower you with home-based rehab strategies tailored to your healing timeline.
We honour your birth story, because it matters in how your body responds.
In Summary
Postpartum pain and dysfunction aren’t just physical—they impact your energy, your confidence, your ability to mother with ease. You don’t have to “push through” or wait it out.
Chiropractic care offers a gentle, effective, and empowering way to realign, regulate, and recover. Your healing matters.
Next in Part 5: we’ll explore the emotional load of motherhood, how stress affects the nervous system, and how chiropractic care can support your mental health from the inside out. (Go back to #3 Here)
Disclaimer:
The information in this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace individualised medical advice. Chiropractic care is not a replacement for obstetric or medical care. All care provided at Nomad Chiropractic is tailored to individual needs following a thorough clinical assessment. Results may vary. Please consult with your healthcare provider to determine if chiropractic care is appropriate for you.
Frequently Asked Questions:
-
Yes. Our postpartum care is gentle, specific, and always tailored to your birth experience and current stage of healing—whether vaginal or Caesarean. You could get adjusted immediately after birth if you wanted.
-
While we don’t directly treat the pelvic floor (ie we don’t do internal assessments and corrections), we support pelvic alignment and core function, which play a key role in pelvic stability.
We also refer to women’s health physios as needed.
*Have a read of this article about sacrum position and pelvic floor instability. -
Tight or imbalanced pelvic floor can look and feel like: pelvic pain, painful intercourse, constipation and difficulty with bowel movements, urinary issues like urgency, frequency, or an incomplete bladder emptying sensation, lower back and hip pain, and tailbone pain.
Don’t suffer! Do something about it!
-
A weak pelvic floor might feel like:
Pressure or a bulge in the pelvic area, which could possibly be a pelvic organ prolapse, and we’d co-manage that with a women’s health physio.
Or it might create:
Issues with bladder and bowel control, eg. leaking urine when you laugh or cough; or leaking stool. -
Coccyx misalignment is common postpartum and often responds well to low-force chiropractic adjustments focused on the sacrum, pelvic floor and pelvic girdle mechanics. We also see amazing results with coccyx using Sacro Occipital Technique, which doesn’t necessarily require touching a tender coccyx. Ask us about it!
-
Yes! Mum wrist (aka de Quervain’s tenosynovitis) is often due to repetitive lifting and feeding postures in a body that is already inflamed. We support wrist, elbow, shoulder, and spinal alignment to reduce strain and restore function. This can sometimes be really helped with our dry needling and some active muscle releasing as well.
-
Absolutely. Even if you didn’t labour, your body still underwent major physical and hormonal changes. We support your spine, posture, and nervous system gently and effectively after surgery.
We often find that women who have had C-section may have a tight pelvic floor as it hasn’t been stretched during vaginal delivery. Regardless of your birth story, we think every mum requires postpartum care.