Pregnancy is a wonderful and exciting time for many women, but it can also come with its fair share of aches and pains. One of the most common complaints among women is pregnancy back pain. As the baby grows and the body changes to accommodate the pregnancy, the back becomes strained and uncomfortable. However, there are a few things that women can do to alleviate back pain during pregnancy. Our chiropractor in Fredericksburg is ready to assist.
Managing Pregnancy Back Pain
Pregnant women care for themselves and their babies when taking the following steps to alleviate back pain:
- Maintain good posture
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise
- Heat therapy
- Mindful of sleeping position
- Consulting your doctor
Maintain good posture
The first step in managing back pain during pregnancy is to maintain good posture. As the baby grows, the center of gravity shifts, making it easy to overextend the back while standing or walking placing too much stress on the joints of the spine. Chiropractic care as well as proper bracing can help alleviate the pain sensitive structures of the spine that have become overly stressed during this time. Using a pregnancy belt helps lift and hold the baby closer to the spine to limit overextension of the back creating pain relief. There is a hormone that is released during pregnancy called relaxin. This hormone is released to allow for relaxation of the ligaments of the spine and pelvis to allow for proper delivery of the baby. This hormone has been proposed to be a contributing factor to the increase in back pain however further studies are necessary to establish the extent of involvement. What we do know is that the facet joints of the lower back are pain sensitive and are stressed in positions of overextension, a position that is commonly associated in pregnancy.
Maintain a healthy weight
Another important step in managing back pain during pregnancy is to maintain a healthy weight. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy puts extra strain on the back. Extra strain makes it more difficult to manage the pain. Talking about proper nutrition during pregnancy can help insure you are getting all of your essential dietary needs for you and the baby as well as help make better substitutions to help with improper weight gain. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoid harmful foods like seafood that may have high levels of mercury. Make sure to get plenty of vitamins and minerals like folate or B9, B12 or cobalamin, and iron. Your body is creating a lot of new material for your baby so the more fruits and vegetables you eat the better your babies nutrition will be. Vitamins come from a variety of your fruits and vegetables so make sure to eat them. Eating smaller more frequent meals will help you continue to get the nutrition you need as well as help with any nausea you are experiencing.
Exercise
Exercise is also an important part of managing back pain during pregnancy. Regular exercise can help keep the muscles in the back strong and flexible, making it easier to manage the pain. However, it’s important to avoid any exercises that put extra strain on the back, such as contact sports or high-impact aerobics. Instead, focus on low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, or prenatal yoga.
Heat therapy
Heat therapy is also a great way to alleviate back pain during pregnancy. Heat helps relax the muscles and ease the pain. A heating pad, warm bath, or hot water bottle can all be used to provide heat therapy.
Mindful of sleep position
It’s also important to be mindful of sleeping position during pregnancy. Sleeping on the stomach is not good for the developing baby as well as the back. Sleeping on your back may cause compression of the vessels in the abdomen causing additional swelling of the lower limbs and may need to be avoided. Lying in the left lateral decubitus position is best when you are farther along in pregnancy this is lying on your left side with a pillow between the knees to support the lower back.
Consulting your doctor
In addition to these tips, it’s important to talk to a chiropractor about any back pain during pregnancy. They can help to identify the underlying cause of the pain and develop a treatment plan that is tailored to the individual needs of the mother-to-be.
Overall, back pain during pregnancy is a common problem but it can be managed. By maintaining good posture, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, using heat therapy, being mindful of sleeping position and consulting with your chiropractor, pregnant women can alleviate back pain and continue to enjoy this special time in their lives.
If you are struggling with back pain during your pregnancy, contact our Fredericksburg team at Stine Chiropractic Clinic for assistance.
