Experiences of Australian pregnant women seeking chiropractic care for low back and pelvic girdle pain: a qualitative exploration
Introduction: Pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic girdle pain is common, with more than two-thirds of Australian pregnant women experiencing low back pain, and almost half experiencing pelvic girdle pain. With 20% of Australian pregnant women visiting a chiropractor for this condition, little is known about the experience of pregnant women who seek chiropractic care for treatment of low back and/or pelvic girdle pain.
Aim: To explore and describe the experiences of Australian pregnant women who seek chiropractic care for their pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic girdle pain.
Methods: A qualitative case study approach with purposive sampling was used. A constructivist and interpretivist stance provided understanding and meaning to the pregnant women’s lived experiences. Unstructured interviews, using an audio-visual recording on Zoom, were performed, and supplemented by a respondent’s characteristic survey and the pelvic girdle questionnaire. A grounded theory approach was used in coding and data analysis, until thematic saturation was observed. A thematic analysis, based on a framework of transcribed interviews, memos, survey findings with triangulation and respondent validation was undertaken. Macquarie University ethics approval was obtained for this study (#: 52020621817665).
Results: From 27 chiropractic practices, 16 potential participants contacted the research student. After eligibility screening, nine interviews were undertaken. The thematic analysis identified four key themes: care driver, care barrier, chiropractic treatment and response to care.
Conclusion: Four insightful key themes were identified from pregnant women who sought chiropractic care for their pregnancy-related low back and pelvic girdle pain. The themes support an overarching substantive-level theory that chiropractic care for pregnant woman experiencing low back pain and pelvic girdle pain improves their pain, function, and pregnancy-related biopsychosocial concerns. A second substantive-level theory addressed the effect of chiropractic care on birthing outcomes. Due to the qualitative nature, findings have only “naturalistic” generalisability and general transferability; however, the findings may inform antenatal providers and the chiropractic profession about pregnant women’s experience with chiropractic care and direct future research.