A Day at the Chiropractor - Dr. Sebastian Bergeron with NordRo Clinic
Average Read Time: 3-5 Minutes
I was connected to Dr. Sebastian through a wonderful midwife in the Chicago area, Corinne Westing with Birth Roots Community Midwifery. I have heard about the amazing benefits of chiropractic work for pregnancy — specifically the Webster Technique, a gentle approach that supports pelvic and sacral alignment, which can help create optimal space and environment for babies to find their best position on their own. However, I’d also been a bit brainwashed by the myths around chiropractors. I heard things like “they can cause a stroke if they crack your neck wrong” or “that’s fake medicine, those aren’t trained doctors”. I figured that before I could make a judgement for myself, I needed to meet with an actual chiropractor and learn what healing they can do from the horse’s mouth!
The second I met Dr. Sebastian, I knew I had found a person who would help me break down my stereotypes. He welcomed me into his office, which immediately felt warm and safe, especially for me as a queer woman. He walked me through his services (chiropractic work, acupuncture, and lifestyle medicine — evidence-based guidance on nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress. ) and showed me some of the tools that he uses to support people in their healing. We then sat down in his office to chat.
Let me say this loud and clear: Dr. Sebastian KNOWS what he’s talking about! This poor man put up with so many questions from me with grace, kindness, and (most importantly) deep knowledge. He explained to me what chiropractic work actually is — how joints in the spine that aren't moving well can affect the surrounding muscles, nerves, and overall function, and how his adjustments help restore that movement and ease tension in the system. He used models and his hands to help me visualize the support, and walked me through the real research on cervical adjustments and stroke risk — which turns out to be much more nuanced and rare than the scary stereotype suggests, and helped me understand why he takes such care with consent and screening before any neck work. He explained the work that he explicitly does for pregnant people, postpartum people, and for babies, each which require specialized work that he has experience with. I came away from that conversation really understanding the chiropractic work that Dr. Sebastian was about to do to me, and how he would benefit my clients as well.
The other part of the conversation that really struck me was about justice. Both Dr. Sebastian and I do work that centers the humanity of people. But we are doing this work within a system that is designed to gatekeep this work unless you have the money and resources to access it. For me, that means people who have the ability to pay for doula service, or even the knowledge of what a doula is and how they can support people in the perinatal period. For Dr. Sebastian, that access is generally through insurance. Not all insurance companies are willing to pay for chiropractic work (mine included) and Dr. Sebastian is willing to figure out what is best for each individual client and their ability to access care. Dr. Sebastian wasn’t afraid to address the systemic harm that is happening on the individual level, and he is addressing it as best he can so that all people are able to access chiropractic care.
Before going into the care, the last thing I’ll highlight about Dr. Sebastian’s care is his trauma-informed consent process. He has a well-researched and clearly explained document outlining the risks and benefits of all of the care that one might access when in need of healing. He goes through each bucket with the client and allows plenty of time for questions, concerns, and ideas that spring up in the pursuit of chiropractic support. I really felt that Dr. Sebastian took the time to really dive into what I was about to experience, so that informed consent and decision-making was at the center of our conversation.
Ok, let me talk about my physical experience, y’all. Dr. Sebastian started by doing an overall assessment that included some stretching and reflex tests. Generally this part was hands off to start, so that Dr. Sebastian could see what my body was already capable of. We then laid down on his very awesome table (which has great converts for pregnant people!) and he did more hands-on moves to assess mobility and blockages. Once he had figured out some spots where I was holding tension, he put me into a pretzel (his words!) and did some specific cracking to open my hips and neck area. LET ME TELL YOU: my neck has never been more mobile in my life! I don’t generally feel a lot of tension in my neck (I carry stress in my hips!) but after Dr. Sebastian, I’ve been able to move my neck more freely than ever before. I didn’t know what I was missing until I had it back! I do yoga frequently and his moves have opened my neck up in ways I didn’t think possible.
Overall, my experience at Dr. Sebastian was a 10/10. He made me feel comfortable and safe from the very beginning, and was incredible knowledgeable about all of the healing work he does. He tailored my visit for my body, and also showed me the ways that his work could be in support of pregnant and postpartum adults, as well as babies. I feel very comfortable recommending Dr. Sebastian to my doula clients, and will be going to back to see him again myself!
Want to talk through chiropractice work in pregnancy and postpartum? Have questions about other bodywork? Contact me here and Dr. Sebastian here!
