The Buttafly Technique for Post-Partum Care

A proven self-care tool for back pain relief and post-partum care

The Buttafly Technique can be used to care for your spine and well-being during the post-partum period in a way that promotes deep relaxation and offers symptom relief at home, and is ideal to fit in with the realities of your busy schedule as a new mum. After childbirth, it’s common to experience back discomfort due to a combination of hormonal changes, weakened core and pelvic floor muscles, and the physical demands of caring for your baby. These factors, along with fatigue and disrupted sleep, can contribute to tension, poor posture, and slower recovery.

With the Buttafly Technique, you have a practical, evidence-based approach that supports your body’s natural alignment and healing abilities. By focusing on mindful posture, restorative movement, and gentle strengthening, the Technique helps reduce pain, restore function, and foster a sense of ease. Ergonomic adjustments for feeding and lifting, combined with regular practice, create a foundation for long-term spine health. By listening to your body and integrating these supportive strategies, you can move through this important transition with greater comfort, resilience, and confidence, honouring both your journey and your body’s remarkable capacity to heal.

See below for common complaints related to the spine in the post-partum period.

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Lower Back Pain (Lumbago)

Extremely common after childbirth, both in those who delivered vaginally and via Caesarean section.
Causes: Hormonal changes (especially relaxin, which loosens ligaments), weakened core and pelvic floor muscles, postural changes from pregnancy, and the physical demands of caring for a newborn (lifting, feeding, carrying).
Symptoms: Dull or aching pain in the lumbar region, sometimes radiating to the hips or legs.

With the Buttafly Technique, you have a practical, evidence-based approach that supports your body’s natural alignment and healing abilities.

Sacroiliac joint pain

The sacroiliac (SI) joints become more mobile during pregnancy and may remain unstable post-partum, leading to pain in the lower back and buttocks.
Symptoms: Sharp or aching pain at the back of the pelvis, sometimes aggravated by standing, walking, or changing positions.

Upper back and shoulder pain

Often related to feeding posture (breast or bottle), carrying the baby, and repetitive lifting.
Symptoms: Tension, stiffness, or pain between the shoulder blades, neck, and upper back.

Coccyx (tailbone) pain (Coccydynia)

It can result from trauma during childbirth, especially with prolonged labour or instrumental delivery.
Symptoms: Pain at the base of the spine, worse when sitting or moving from sitting to standing.
Coccydynia can occur during defecation. This is a common complaint for people experiencing tailbone pain, especially after childbirth or following an injury. The coccyx sits just behind and helps to support the rectum, and the pressure or movement involved in passing a bowel movement can irritate the area, leading to discomfort or sharp pain.

If coccyx pain is persistent, severe, or accompanied by other symptoms (such as numbness, weakness, or changes in bowel or bladder control), it’s essential to consult a healthcare professional to rule out other causes and receive appropriate support.

Coccyx (tailbone) pain can result from trauma during childbirth and can make sitting and defecation painful.

Poor posture and postural fatigue

The demands of infant care, especially frequent sitting, slouching, or awkward positions, can lead to muscle fatigue and imbalances.
Symptoms: Generalised back discomfort, stiffness, and increased fatigue.

Pelvic Girdle Pain

Includes pain in the pubic symphysis and around the pelvis, often persisting from pregnancy.
Symptoms: Pain in the front and/or back of the pelvis, sometimes radiating to the thighs.

Learn the Buttafly Technique

Frequently asked questions

How is the Buttafly Technique different from traditional back pain treatments?

A: The Buttafly Technique differs from a hands-on treatment in which the spine is mobilised or manipulated from the outside. Instead, the spine reorganises itself in a way that is in harmony with the rest of the body. Unlike traditional treatments that often provide temporary relief, the Buttafly Technique empowers you with a tool for ongoing spine care at home. It works with your body's natural healing ability and doesn't require repeated appointments or interventions.

Can the Buttafly Technique help with chronic back pain?

Is the Buttafly Technique suitable for all types of back pain?

What other conditions responds well to the Buttafly Technique?

Hip pain/ arthritis of the hip/post-hip replacement
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Women’s Health conditions including period pain, pregnancy, post-partum, and organ prolapse

The physical body is a continuum, and every part of it is connected to every other part of the body in some way or another.

When you have pain anywhere in the body, it will always impact the spine.

Neck and shoulder pain will cause you to hold yourself stiffly – and if you can’t turn your head fully to reverse your car, somewhere else along the length of the spine will have to make up for the shortfall.

A limp will affect the realignment of the whole body even when there is no pain attached to it. Think of what it’s like to walk when you have a stone in your shoe!

Does the Buttafly Technique hurt?

No. Indeed, for the Technique to be effective you must feel comfortable, and be in an environment where you feel at ease and able to relax.

If you already have back pain or sciatica, the pain should not worsen. You should feel supported throughout the practice.

The Buttafly Technique is precise. For it to be safe and effective, it's essential to follow the instructions given on the website. Please see How To Set Up The Buttafly Technique.

If you are working with a certified practitioner of the Buttafly Technique, they will help you to achieve this.

Who invented the Buttafly Technique?

The Buttafly and this exciting development for the treatment of back pain has been developed by Loulou James, MCSP, an intuitive and experienced Spinal Health Specialist with 30 years of clinical experience as a physiotherapist (since retired) in the NHS, the military, and private practice.

It’s how Loulou cured her back problems after fracturing her spine in a roller-blading accident. Since then, she’s used it with most of her clients and finds the benefits are often life-changing for them.

To discover more about the development of the Buttafly Technique, click here.

The body has a deep intelligence and the capacity to bring itself back into balance. That said, we rarely, if at all, consider how this applies to the spine and posture. But it does, and the Buttafly Technique harnesses it beautifully.

— Loulou James, MCSP
Spinal Health Specialist and the designer of the Buttafly