In-Home Pregnancy & Prenatal Chiropractor in Los Angeles
Gentle, drug-free chiropractic care for pregnancy and postpartum. House calls delivered to your door anywhere in Los Angeles, usually the same day you call. There is never a charge to speak with the doctor. If you live in Los Angeles, call (310) 663-9975.Dr. Greg Malakoff, DC, DACNB.
44 years of clinical experience, making house calls since 1998.
Chiropractic Home Visit for Low Back Pain During Pregnancy
“My lower back is killing me.” That is, word for word, what most pregnant women say when they call me. Sure, getting pregnant is the easy part (well, it used to be), but once you are pregnant, your body is going to experience a whole lot of stress. Which is a lot less stressful than the labor that eventually arrives. Don’t put your feet up yet, because after giving birth you then have to carry a nine-pound baby that gets heavier by the day.
By the time most moms find me, they’ve already talked to their OB, tried massage, and been told to rest, and nothing has helped. They can’t take drugs, and the last thing they want to do is drag themselves across Los Angeles to sit in a waiting room. So I don’t ask them to. As a highly trained and experienced chiropractor for over 44 years, I’ve offered prenatal care for that low back pain that moms develop but can’t medicate. I utilize conventional Webster Technique methods, and I’ve also helped many women with postpartum chiropractic care. I bring the chiropractic office to your living room.
About Dr. Greg Malakoff
B.S.: State University of N.Y.
Doctorate: New York Chiropractic College
Diplomate of American Chiropractic Neurological Board (DACNB)
Quality home care since 1998.
44+ years of clinical experience.
The Pregnancy Pains I Treat Most
Low back pain and sciatica
The chief complaint for pregnant women is lower back pain, very often with concomitant sciatica, which is that shooting pain that runs from the lower back down the leg. As your pregnancy progresses, there is more mechanical stress on your lower back, and a basic drug-free chiropractic treatment is often the only relief your obstetrician/gynecologist can safely recommend.
SPD: Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (pelvic girdle pain)
Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD), also known as Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP), causes sharp, shooting pain in the pubic area and groin. It occurs when pregnancy hormones loosen the pelvic ligaments too much, causing joint instability. Many cases improve through physical chiropractic therapy, a pregnancy support belt, and keeping your knees together when moving. I do bring these support belts with me.
Round ligament pain
Round ligament pain is a normal pregnancy discomfort caused by the stretching and thickening of the ligaments supporting your uterus. It typically causes a brief, sharp, or pulling sensation in the lower abdomen or groin, usually triggered by sudden movements like coughing, sneezing, or changing positions. Again, a support belt is a major consideration in treatment, and I keep a supply of those belts that I bring to your home.
How an In-Home Prenatal Visit Works
It is safe and often very effective. It requires no special equipment other than my chiropractic table and S.O.T. blocks. I may use special bolsters or pillows to make you comfortable. How it works is that it addresses the biomechanics of the spine and utilizes spinal-cord physiology to better regulate overworked muscles stressed by compromised spinal mechanics and overstretched ligaments. These methods have often helped the myriads of pain symptoms that women develop during pregnancy, including sciatica, SPD, and round ligament pain.
Chiropractic treatment is utilized by patients during all three trimesters of pregnancy. One thing I will not do is use physiotherapy modalities on a pregnant patient. I bring physiotherapy equipment on every house call, but it is contraindicated over a gravid uterus, so with my pregnant patients it stays in the bag. I mention this because a good doctor also tells you what he won’t, as well as what you shouldn’t do.
After the oxytocin and relaxin hormones from your pituitary gland relax your pelvic ligaments to make a more suitable birth canal, your hips, back, and overall pelvis can become unstable. The more stable your spine is, the easier your pregnancy and delivery typically are, with fewer complications. There is also preliminary research suggesting that lumbosacral adjustments may influence the pulsatility index of the uterine arteries, possibly by affecting the autonomic nervous system and vascular tone.
Is It Safe, and Is It Right for You?
Chiropractic care is gentle, effective, and a natural support for your pregnancy, and I treat women in all three trimesters. But I’ll be straight with you on the phone, at no charge: if your gynecologist has you on bed rest or is monitoring your pregnancy closely, talk to them first. I’ll ask. High-risk pregnancies are not a fit for house-call chiropractic care, and I’ll tell you so. That kind of upfront screening is part of why my patients trust me.
Not sure which side of that line you’re on? Call (310) 663-9975. The phone consultation is free either way.
Prenatal, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Care: What’s the Difference?
Sometimes people get confused about the difference between prenatal care and pregnancy care, which includes postpartum care. Pregnancy care is the comprehensive, overarching term for all healthcare surrounding a pregnancy, which includes both prenatal (before birth) and postpartum (after birth) care. Prenatal care specifically refers to the checkups, screenings, and guidance a mother receives only while she is pregnant. The main purpose of prenatal chiropractic care is to decrease pain; the advantage of postnatal care is to help you recover faster after delivery. I do not work with nurse midwives or doulas because I’m not involved in deliveries. So far all of my patients have had that taken care of already.
Postpartum Chiropractic Care and What OCI Is
As the delivery date approaches, your pelvic ligaments loosen in preparation for the birth, which can make your spinal alignment more unstable. Left that way afterward, you can develop a condition called Osteitis Condensans Ilii. Osteitis condensans ilii (OCI) is one of the benign etiologies of chronic axial low back pain. Most of the time, OCI is an incidental finding on plain X-ray with ileal sclerosis, and it is predominantly found in women of childbearing age in the prepartum or postpartum period. This is a fancy way of saying that your sacroiliac joints can become arthritic because of the extra wear and tear from loose ligaments creating unstable joints. It is wise to realign your pelvis and spine after delivery. And yes, I make postpartum house calls too, once you’ve had time to recover (after a C-section, give it at least a week or more).
The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported in its July/August 2002 issue an 82% success rate of babies turning correctly toward the birth canal when chiropractic methods were utilized. Women who utilize chiropractic care during pregnancy and after find it much easier to care for their baby. The adjustments have been found to balance the mother’s pelvis so she and her baby have a better probability of a safe and comfortable birth process.
Benefits for the baby, too
Benefits after delivery to the baby should be considered as well. The last 8 to 12 weeks of pregnancy place a restricted position on the fetus, creating pressure that is not desirable. This pressure may result in posture issues, jaw and lactation issues, hip dislocation, and torticollis (neck stiffness). This unrecognized birth trauma may also result in spinal subluxations, which can create systemic nervous-system effects not typically associated with the spine. Signs of colic, reflux, constipation, positional discomfort, exaggerated arching, insomnia, a weakened immune system, respiratory issues, or digestion problems may be helped with early chiropractic treatment.
Why a House Call Instead of an Office?
I was the first mobile chiropractor in the Los Angeles area, and I make house calls only. I’ve been doing this so long that Google usually ranks me the number one mobile chiropractor for house calls in Los Angeles. No waiting room, no 20 pages of forms, no other patients in treatment rooms: when I schedule you, you are my only concern. I limit my day to six house calls so each patient gets the time they need, and if you’re near me, or relatively near me, I can usually come the same day. Everything typically found in a chiropractor’s office comes through your door with me, including the support belts, the kind not usually sold to the public.
What Does a Home Visit Cost?
Pricing depends mainly on distance and the complexity of your case. See the full pricing page for the breakdown, or just call because there is no charge to speak with me. I’ll try my best to give you an accurate quote on the phone after I know more details. Insurance is not accepted, but a bill can be provided on request for you to submit to your insurance company.
About Dr. Greg Malakoff
B.S., State University of New York. Doctorate, New York Chiropractic College. Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurological Board (DACNB). 44 years of clinical experience, including hospital and urgent-care work. Quality home care since 1998. My post-graduate degree in neurology also means I can usually spot the case that needs a physician instead of a chiropractor. Out of tens of thousands of patients, only six ever required a surgical referral, and I was the doctor who referred them.
260+ five-star Google reviews · 360+ reviews across Google and Yelp · Free phone consultation: (310) 663-9975
Areas I Serve for Pregnancy House Calls
I’m based in Beverly Hills and serve all of Los Angeles. Most of my pregnant patients call from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Westwood, and Hancock Park, but I’ve treated moms-to-be from Studio City to Burbank to Van Nuys, and I’ll consider exceptions beyond my usual range. One night I drove into Topanga Canyon past where the cell service ends; my patient met me on the roadside with a flashlight, and I treated her in what I can only describe as a treehouse. If you can get pregnant there, I can probably get a chiropractic table there as well.
WHAT MY HAPPY PATIENTS SAY
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Prenatal chiropractic is gentle, drug-free, and I treat women in all three trimesters. I’ve been adjusting pregnant women for decades using conventional Webster Technique methods, with positioning, bolsters, and S.O.T. blocks that keep you comfortable and safe.
If your gynecologist has you on bed rest or close monitoring, talk to them first. I’ll ask about it on the phone. High-risk pregnancies aren’t a fit for house-call chiropractic care, and I’ll tell you if that’s your situation.
As soon as you’re ready; postpartum realignment is exactly when your pelvis needs it most. After a C-section, give your body at least a week or more to recover before we schedule.
It depends mostly on distance. Call (310) 663-9975 for a free quote, or see the pricing page for the full breakdown.
No insurance is accepted, but a bill can be provided on request for you to submit to your insurance company yourself.
Get Help Today Without Leaving Home
If you live in Los Angeles, call (310) 663-9975 for a free emergency or non-emergency phone consultation. There is never a charge to speak with the doctor, and I can usually be at your door the same day.
