Keep Changing Your Posture
Change your position often to avoid over-stressing your joints.
You can also practice improving your posture by following these steps:
Back Pain During Pregnancy
Back pain or discomfort is common during pregnancy and should be expected to some degree by most women. Back pain may be experienced during any point of your pregnancy however, it most commonly occurs later in pregnancy as baby grows.Back pain can disrupt your daily routine or interfere with a good night of sleep. The good news is there are steps you can take to manage the back pain that you experience.
Prepare A Complete Medical History
Let your provider know your history of any traumatic back or pelvic injuries, herniated discs, chronic back pain, scoliosis or surgical treatments . This information is not only important for managing low back pain during pregnancy.
It is also very important for your anesthesiologist, should you need spinal anesthesia or an epidural. (This has nothing to do with whether you want pain control for labor or not.
This is in the event that you need anesthesia you want your Anesthesiologist to be prepared.)
Recommended Reading: Can I Drink Breakfast Essentials While Pregnant
Best Exercises For Pregnancy Back Pain
Can you prevent pregnancy back pain is a question I hear all the time. The answer is yes! I know how debilitating, frustrating and life-changing back pain can be when pregnant. And I want to show you the best exercises for pregnancy back pain.
You have enough on your mind with work, planning for baby’s arrival, dealing with other body changes, nausea, attending appointments and so much more. Back pain is one ailment you will want to avoid.
Or if you do suffer from it, rehab it properly so you can get back to functioning how you want to in your everyday activities.
Walk Like A Model To Prevent Pregnancy Back Pain
Through the course of your life, youve probably walked so much you dont give it a second thought. But you should. When youre pregnant, walking with good posture can relieve a lot of the pressure on your low back.Weve found that imagining that youre a model is a great way to get your body in alignment. Look ahead as you walk and keep your chin parallel with the ground. Keep your shoulders relaxed and lightly engage your thighs and abdominal muscles to give your spine support. Then, imagine yourself gliding from place to place or carrying a book on your head. This puts your body in the correct position. Plus, it makes you look good while youre doing it.
You May Like: Can I Donate Plasma While Pregnant
Back Pain Is Not Accompanied By Abdominal Tightness
When youre in labor, the uterus is contracting. Though you may feel it in your back, the contractions wrap around from the front. If you are experiencing contractions and back labor, you may notice your belly tightening at regular intervals along with your back pain.
Regular back pain is not accompanied by abdominal tightness.
While these tips may help you distinguish between regular back pain and early labor signs, be advised that once labor progresses, if you experience true back labor it may feel very different. During your period of hard labor as opposed to early labor back pain may not let up like regular contractions, and you may feel a constant pain if you are experiencing back labor .
Keep This Statistic In Mind
Why Is This Important
The importance of having good posture increases during pregnancy. According to the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, pregnancy is a time where the load that your spine carries increases with time . Your ever-growing tummy may influence yourself to feel like you are going to fall forward.
Because of this, having bad posture may not only lead to pain and discomfort but may also cause harm to your baby. This is especially important during the final months of pregnancy as hormones may start to weaken your tendons and ligaments, leaving you with all sorts of discomfort.
Moreover, while performing normal day-to-day jobs, a pregnant woman is more prone to straining or overstretching themselves. It may also cause negative effects on bodily functions such as digestion and breathing. To help ease the tension on your neck, shoulders, and back, it is extremely important to understand the best way to sit in an office chair while pregnant.
Recommended Reading: Can I Use Vagisil Wash While Pregnant
How To Protect Your Back
You can protect your back during pregnancy by avoiding or changing the way you do some things. This becomes more important the further along in your pregnancy you are.
- Avoid heavy lifting. If you have to lift something heavy, bend your knees, keep your back straight and tighten your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Make sure the object you are lifting stays close to your body. Allow toddlers to climb onto your lap or into the car or bath, and squat down next to them rather than picking them up.
- Always have a good posture. Try to keep your pelvis symmetrical. Stand with your weight evenly on both legs, your back straight and your pelvis tucked under. Avoid standing for a long time. Sit up straight with your bottom at the back of your chair and your feet on a stool if necessary.
- Avoid activities that might hurt your back. These include bending or twisting, climbing ladders, or walking up steep hills.
- Be careful in bed. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. To get out of bed, roll onto your side with your knees together. Then use your arms for support as you swing your legs onto the floor.
- Wear shoes with low heels . These have good arch support. Avoid high heels.
- Consider a maternity support belt.
Stay Clear Of Toe Touches
Exercise is great for back pain but not all workouts are beneficial. Any light discomfort felt at the beginning of these exercises should disappear as muscular tissues come to be more powerful.
Yet if pain is even more than light and also lasts greater than 15 mins during workout, patients ought to quit exercising as well as contact a medical professional. Some workouts might intensify ache.
Standing toe touches, as an example, put higher stress and anxiety on the disks as well as ligaments in your spine. They can also overstretch lower back muscles as well as hamstrings.
Also Check: Side Effects Of Donating Plasma While Pregnant
Causes Of Back Pain During Pregnancy
As many as 80 percent of moms-to-be experience back pain at some point during their pregnancy, and the causes can vary. The main culprit is often strain on the muscles of your back caused by pregnancy weight gain and by changes in your posture due to your growing belly. As your pregnancy progresses, there is more weight on the front of your body, making you bend slightly forward. To keep you balanced, your posture changes, and you might overcorrect and lean back a little too far. The extra strain can make your back feel stiff and sore.
Weak abdominal muscles can also cause back pain. As your baby grows, your tummy muscles can stretch and weaken. These muscles play an important role in supporting your spine, so as they weaken, your back can start to hurt.
Some pregnancy hormones can also play a role. Hormones that are meant to relax the ligaments and joints of your pelvis to help your baby pass through the birth canal more easily can also loosen the joints of your back, which can cause them to overextend, leading to soreness.
Hot And Cold Compresses
To ease your back pain, you can try using a hot and cold compress on your back. Applying first hot and then cold compresses to the area that is sore, can lower the body temperature helping to constrict the blood vessels, reduce swelling and decrease inflammation in your muscles. However, make sure to consult a health professional such as your GP or midwife before trying this, because it is not safe to apply heat to certain parts of the body such as your abdomen whilst pregnant.
You May Like: Lasik While Nursing
Natural Ways To Relieve Back Pain During Pregnancy
When your baby bump is causing back pain, there are plenty of things you can do to feel better without taking over-the-counter pain killers.
During pregnancy, that bowling ball, a.k.a. baby, inside your uterus changes your whole centre of gravity, which results in your pelvis arahifting forward. This can lead to a common form of back pain known as pelvic girdle pain , which spans from the middle lower back area all the way around to your hips and pubic bone, says Sarah Mickeler, chiropractor and founder of West End Mamas, a clinic in Toronto that specializes in pre- and postnatal care.
At the same time, in order to compensate for this forward shift in their pelvis, many women naturally lean backward, which increases the curve of their lower back, potentially leading to low-back pain. Ouch!
All of this can add up to a lot of aches and pains, but the good news is there are a number of ways to prevent and treat it. Pregnancy does not have to hurt, says Mickeler. Here are some ways to find relief from pregnancy-related back pain.
Prepare Your Body Before Pregnancy
The biggest favor you can do to keep pregnancy back pain at bay actually begins before your baby is even a twinkle in your eye . When you’re even considering pregnancy, begin to strengthen your body — especially your legs, abdominal core, and back — through moderate exercise, advises Mary Rosser, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York.
Dr. Rosser recommends pre-conception care that includes consulting with your doctor to form a plan and discussing different exercise techniques to prepare your body for carrying the pregnancy weight. Walking for 20 to 30 minutes or riding a stationary bike for 30 minutes a day builds leg strength, as do simple exercises that strengthen abdominal muscles to support the belly and protect the back when your pregnancy eventually progresses. Starting off strong will help you maintain enough core strength to maintain alignment and balance as your belly begins to grow and pull the lower back forward.
Read Also: Can You Get Lasik Eye Surgery While Pregnant
When Should I See My Doctor For Back Pain During Pregnancy
Even if you experience only mild back pain, it is important to inform your doctor. He or she can recommend the best methods for you to manage those symptoms and can then monitor you throughout your pregnancy for worsening symptoms.
If your symptoms are severe, become severe, and are persistent or prolonged, call your doctor right away.
You should call your doctor and seek immediate medical care if your back pain is accompanied by:
- Numbness or weakness: Severe pain, numbness or weakness in the legs may be a sign of a condition called sciatica. While sciatica is not common, its symptoms can be similar to normal back pain. However, sciatica can cause leg pain that is more severe than your back pain. You will likely feel it below the knee and in your foot and toes, along with a tingling sensation, numbness or weakness. Call your doctor immediately if you feel weakness in one or both legs, or lose sensation in your legs, groin, bladder, or anus.
- Fever and dull ache: A fever accompanied by a dull ache across your lower back or along the sides of your back could be a sign of a kidney or bladder infection, or urinary tract issues. This would require immediate attention and treatment with antibiotics. Call your doctor immediately if you feel back pain accompanied by painful urination, blood in the urine, chills, or fever.
Treatment For Early Back Pain During Pregnancy
No matter what stage of your pregnancy youre in, there are ways to treat back pain. You probably wont be able to prevent it completely, but you can help to minimize the pain.
Follow these tips for reducing back pain throughout your pregnancy.
If your back pain seems to be linked to your stress levels, things like meditation, prenatal yoga, and extra rest can all be helpful ways to manage your stress levels.
Recommended Reading: Can I Use Vagisil Wash While Pregnant
How To Relieve Back Pain During Pregnancy
by Dr. Rachana Dave | Oct 27, 2021 | Health, pregnancy, Uncategorized |
In this blog, you will learn the basic science of spine changes during pregnancy. you will get all your answers related back pain during pregnancy and will give you tips to manage back pain during pregnancy.
Hey expecting mothers or pregnant women out there, first of all very best wishes for this wonderful journey you are supposed to go or are already on the journey. All the discomfort and hurdles are worth it in the end when you hold your baby in your hand.
Practice Relaxation Techniques And Sleep Right
Meditation, guided imagery, or deep breathing can help you relax and may help relieve your low back pain during pregnancy.
Sleeping in the right position can be helpful too! Try to sleep on your side with your knees bent.
Many pregnant women benefit from the use of a pregnancy pillow and find they get tremendous relief of their low back pain
symptoms. There are many types of pregnancy pillows and many manufacturers.
Pregnancy pillows help low back pain primarily by offering support to the head, neck, spine, hips and lower extremities.
Initially, you will very likely experience immediate improvement in sleep comfort.
However, what is most remarkable is the improvement you will notice in your low back pain over time.
The pregnancy pillow is therapeutic because it offers consistent support and alignment of your lower back.
As with any physical therapy, it will take consistent use of the pillow to experience prolonged improvement in low back pain during pregnancy.
The following standard full-body pregnancy pillows are among the most popular for sleep comfort and relief of low back and pelvic pain.
There are many other pregnancy pillow variations available to address specific needs.
Two examples are the knee pillow which is intended to help alleviate sciatic pain and the wedge pillow, which helps support the abdomen in a comfortable anatomic position.
The smaller pillows are also far more practical for those who travel and cannot carry a full-body pregnancy pillow with them.
Recommended Reading: Can I Put Braces While Pregnant
Sleep Stand And Sit Smartly
Once you are pregnant, the back pain risk really starts. “Most of it is due to the compression of nerves and blood vessels,” Dr. Rosser says. So adopt healthy habits that will keep your body as open and supported as possible. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees to reduce the strain on your pelvis and lower back, wear low-heeled shoes with arch supports to help your back maintain its healthy, natural curvature, and drink plenty of fluids to keep your blood vessels open and hydrated. Avoid lifting anything over 10 pounds — if you need to do so, bend your knees and use your legs to lift.
Tips To Manage Back Pain During Pregnancy:
Take a lot of pillows while sleeping. It will give you a feeling of comfort. If you are sleeping on your side put pillows between your knees. If you are sleeping straight then you can put a pillow under your knees.
While sleeping on your side put pillows under your arm so you wont feel any neck pain.
Read Also: Vagisil Safe While Pregnant
What Causes Rib Pain During Pregnancy
Here is why you may experience pain in the ribs when you are pregnant.
Pregnancy-related changes are the usual causes of rib pain during pregnancy. However, in some cases, medical conditions could also be a reason for the pain.
