Pregnant women have a lot on their plate before the due date with rapid changes taking place to their bodies every week. It is common for upto 50% of women to experience lower back pain during pregnancy and this is more likely in the second and third trimester. These changes cause all kinds of strains on the expectant mother but sometimes problems also show up after birth.
Postpartum back pain is a very common symptom that is often underreported and it is often not accounted for. So as an expectant mother, why should you have to deal with this problem?
The answer is you don’t have to! Postpartum back pain is entirely preventable. In order to prevent this from happening to you, there are a few things you need to know.
Pregnancy and childbirth can stress your muscles and joints
With the massive changes to the weight and anatomy of your body as it progresses through the various stages of pregnancy, your back and core muscles have to adapt very quickly. Changes in your activity level, your mobility, body balance and other factors also start to show up and influence how your muscles are used.
Your muscles have to work very hard to keep up with these changes and sometimes they are unable to do so. This is especially true during childbirth as your body might have to extend more than its limits to safely give birth to your child.
Abdominal muscle tears, lumbar disc issues and other such issues can take place during childbirth and then their effects really take hold while the mother is recuperating.
To prevent this, you’ll have to strengthen your back and core to brace for childbirth. But what do you focus on to begin with?
What to Look for
It shouldn’t be surprising that the changes in your body during pregnancy can impact your muscles and joints but your current physical condition can point out where the future issues might turn up.
The key areas to look out for are as always the thoracic spine, lumbar spine and abs. Are you already a bit weak in these areas? Have you had minor/major back trouble in the past? The answers to these questions can make all the difference in what you will need to do.
With the increased weight during pregnancy, you’ll need to start on creating a strong foundation and then focus on weaker areas. But all of this is easier said than done because finding these issues requires specialized knowledge.
We’ll help you prevent postpartum back pain
If all of this sounds too complicated and you just want a more straightforward solution, get in touch with us.
The expert physiotherapists at Form Physio and Rehab will carry out an in-depth physiotherapy discovery session to find out exactly where your strengths and weaknesses lie and create a customized exercise plan for you to follow.
We’ll continue to monitor your progress and change the plan to improve your resilience so you’ll be confident that your body can handle childbirth without any adverse physical effects.
Author
Kodchakorn (Ked) Tawonsupajalean
Head Therapist at Form Recovery and Wellness
Kodchakorn received a Degree in Physiotherapy from Mae Fah Luang Univeristy in Chiang Rai. Kodchakorn is the Head Therapist at Form Recovery and Wellness and works closely with all the therapists from all departments to ensure that every single client who comes to us has the highest chance of success.
