Seven Ways to Relieve Your Pregnancy Back Pain

By Brian Acton

Back pain is a common side effect of pregnancy, with studies estimating at least half of pregnant women will suffer from lower back pain during the course of their pregnancy. Sudden weight gains, a change in posture, hormones and stress can all contribute to back pain of varying levels of intensity. But back pain isn’t something pregnant women simply must endure. There are many ways to fight your back pain. Here are seven.

1. Practice Prenatal Yoga - Prenatal yoga is specifically designed to benefit pregnant women, and involves breathing techniques, gentle stretches, and relaxation. According to the American Pregnancy Association, the benefits can include decreased nausea and headaches, better sleep, and reduced back pain.

2. Maintain Good Posture - Poor posture can exacerbate back pain during pregnancy. Standing and sitting up straight without slouching can reduce the amount of pressure placed on your back. Even when you sleep, proper posture is important. Side sleeping is common among pregnant women for comfort reasons, but this position often doesn’t provide enough spinal support. A full body pillow can help maintain your spinal alignment as you sleep.

3. Get a Prenatal Massage - Prenatal massage can be an important aspect of a woman’s overall prenatal care. The American Pregnancy Association states that massage therapy can relieve back pain, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and even improve birth outcomes for pregnant women.

4. Wear a Maternity Support Belt - Maternity support belts lift the belly during pregnancy, helping to provide welcome relief to backaches, abdominal stress, and pressure on the pelvis and bladder. These products lift some of the pregnancy weight, helping reduce the work your body has to do to carry your pregnancy. While they likely aren’t the only thing you’ll need to keep your back feeling 100%, they can play an important role in back pain relief.

5. Hot and Cold Therapy - Hot and cold therapy can help relieve strains and assorted aches and pains, including your pregnancy related back pain. Best of all, hot and cold packs are do-it-yourself, relatively inexpensive, and easy to use.

6. Exercise - Consistent aerobic exercise strengthens your muscles and increases your flexibility, thereby boosting your body’s resistance to back pain. While it’s not a cure-all, exercise does have transformative powers. For pregnant women, mild activities such as walking and swimming are perfect sources of exercise. And, exercising before you’re pregnant reduces the risk of experiencing lower back pain during pregnancy.

7. Acupuncture - Acupuncture is an East Asian medical technique in which fine needles are inserted into your skin. Studies have shown that acupuncture can relieve lower back pain symptoms during pregnancy, increase your ability to exercise, and reduce your reliance on pain relief drugs. While more research on long-term effects needs to be done, these studies are definitely promising and acupuncture is a widely accepted aspect of many medical treatment plans.

Sources http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/prenatal-yoga/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306025/ http://www.webmd.com/baby/posture#1