Prenatal Precautions for Healthy, Pain-Free Backs

By Brian Acton

Unfortunately for many pregnant women, discomfort and pain can be a daily reality. Among many other symptoms, back pain is a major source of this discomfort. Many estimates claim that at least half of pregnant women experience back pain due to their pregnancy. The causes of back pain during pregnancy can vary: increased hormones that soften ligaments in the joints, a shifted center of gravity, changes in posture, and stress can all be contributing factors. Of course, it can also be as simple as the fact that you are carrying additional weight around! And, if you’ve experienced back pain previous to being pregnant, you’re at a much higher risk for back pain during pregnancy than those without previous symptoms. Read on to find out how to avoid (or, at least, reduce) back pain when you’re expecting.

How to Care for My Back during Pregnancy Prep: First, if possible, it’s a good idea to improve or maintain your physical fitness before you get pregnant. Maintaining a healthy weight, practicing good posture habits, and otherwise leading a healthy lifestyle will reduce the chance of back pain during pregnancy.

Strengthen Your Abdomen: You can actually increase your back’s ability to handle pregnancy by strengthening your abdominal muscles. This helps your abdomen carry the load of your baby, thereby putting less load on your back. Fitness professionals or your doctor may be able to recommend the right exercises – but there’s a great introductory article here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/19025-abdominal-exercises-pregnant-women/

Use the Right Products: There are several ways the right products can help with back pain. A pregnancy support belt lifts the belly, relieving abdominal stress and pressure on your pelvis and back. Firm mattresses (or a good, solid board underneath the mattress) also keep your back in the right position. Body pillows help you find comfortable positions in which to sleep on your side (sleeping on your back or, of course, your stomach, is not recommended). Finally, a good, supportive pair of shoes – no extreme high heels or completely flat shoes – are recommended.

Practice Good Posture and Movement: Key to avoiding back pain – pregnant or not – is good posture and movement. With a few small tweaks in your posture habits, you can at least ease your symptoms of back pain. Even though you may want to lounge or slump in your chair or on the couch, sit up straight in a chair with a good supportive cushion. When sitting, elevate your feet with a footrest. When picking something up, squat rather than bending over.

Seek Professional Guidance: If you still need help alleviating or avoiding back pain, talk to your doctor. Doctors can recommend best practices that are custom to your specific situation, and may even recommend you see a professional physical therapist, chiropractor, or massage therapist (try to find a licensed masseuse who specializes in prenatal massage). Of course, if you have persistent, unbearable pain, or start experiencing symptoms far worse than your normal back pain, see a doctor immediately.

Conclusion No two pregnancies are exactly alike, but there are pretty good odds that yours could include a painful back. It’s just the nature of pregnancy’s effect on your body. However, using the above tips, you can reduce the risk of back pain. You need to do a lot to take care of your unborn child – there’s no reason to add back pain to the mix if it can be avoided.

Sources: http://www.thepregnancycentre.com.au/pregnancy/well-being/taking-care-of-your-back http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/back-pain-during-pregnancy/ http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/backache.aspx http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/aches-pains/pregnancy-back-pain-when-to-worry/