Back pain during pregnancy or any other discomfort is very common, and in most cases they should be expected. May occur at any stage of pregnancy; however, most often this occurs later, when the child reaches a significant weight.
Back pain can disrupt daily life or interfere with good sleep. The good news is that you can take action to deal with it.
How common are back pains during pregnancy?
A large number of women experience pain in the back and lower back during pregnancy. Basically, seventy percent of the fairer who are expecting a baby suffer from this problem.
What causes back pain during an interesting position?
Back pain during pregnancy is associated with a number of factors. Some women begin low back pain in the early expectation of a baby. Overweight women or those who have this problem before conception are more at risk for discomfort.
Here is a list of potential causes of back pain:
- Increased hormones — hormones released during pregnancy act on the ligaments in the pelvic area and the joints become more loose when preparing for birth. This shift in the joints and weakening of the ligaments can affect the back.
- Center of gravity - it will gradually move forward as the uterus and baby grow, which causes the situation to change.
- Extra weight - a developing pregnancy and the baby create extra weight that the back must support, but it does not always cope with it.
- Posture - poor posture, excessive bending can cause or aggravate back pain.
How to prevent or reduce back pain during pregnancy?
Back pain during pregnancy cannot be completely prevented, but there are things a woman can do to reduce the severity or frequency of occurrence.
Here are some steps you can take to reduce back pain:
1. Practice correct posture. When the child grows, the center of gravity shifts forward. To avoid falling forward, you need to compensate for this by leaning back, which can strain the muscles in the lower back and contribute to back pain during pregnancy. It is necessary to observe these principles of good posture:
- Walk straight.
- Keep your chest high.
- Keep your shoulders back and relaxed.
- Do not bend your knees.
- When a woman is standing, you need to use a comfortable wide position for better support.
- Good posture also means sitting with caution. You should always sit not on a stool, but on a chair that supports your back, or put a small pillow on your lower back.
2. The right shoes. Wear low-heeled shoes - not flat - with good arch support. Avoid high heels, which can further push the balance of the body forward and lead to back problems.
3. Also consider wearing a belt for pregnant women. Although studies on the effectiveness of such belts are limited, some women find them useful.
4. Raise objects correctly. Raising a small object, squat and bend your legs. It is also important to know your limitations. If a woman needs to raise something, then she is better off turning to someone for help.
5. Sleep on your side. Sleep on your side, not on your back. Keep your knees bent. It is also possible to use pillows between the bent knees, under the stomach and behind the back.
6. Heat, cold. While evidence of their effectiveness is limited, using a heating pad or ice pack on your back can help.
Physical activity in everyday life
Regular physical activity can keep your back healthy and relieve back pain during pregnancy. For example, walking or water exercises. A physical therapist can also show stretch marks and exercises that can help.
How can pain be relieved?
Quickly relieve pain will help:
- Back massage. It can be done both independently (with two hands to stretch your lower back) and trust a massage specialist.
- Bandage. It helps maintain the abdomen, thereby reducing stress on the back.
- Pillow. Special rollers are placed under the stomach during sleep.
- Pool. If there is no threat of abortion, then the expectant mother should pay attention to a visit to the pool. It relaxes back muscles, improves breathing, blood circulation and speeds up metabolism.
- Medications This includes pills, gels, ointments for back pain during pregnancy.
Additional treatments
Some studies show that acupuncture can reduce back pain during pregnancy. Chiropractic will provide comfort for women. However, further research is needed. If you consider additional therapy, you need to discuss it with your doctor. Be sure to tell your chiropractor or acupuncturist about your situation.
Timely consultation with your doctor
If a woman has severe lower back pain during pregnancy or a back pain that lasts more than two weeks, she should talk with her doctor. He may recommend medications such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or other treatments.
Keep in mind that lower back pain during pregnancy can be a sign of premature birth or urinary tract infection. If the discomfort in a woman in the position is accompanied by vaginal bleeding, fever, or burning during urination, she should immediately contact a doctor.
Yoga during pregnancy
If your back hurts during pregnancy, why not use another method? The best way to both relieve pain and prevent pain is through yoga. Regular classes:
- Relieve or completely eliminate back pain.
- They contribute to the prevention and reduction of edema (almost familiar pregnancy companions).
- They prevent varicose vessels.
- Improve blood circulation.
- They maintain optimal body tone: gently strengthen the muscles of the pelvis, abdomen, back, improve the elasticity of ligaments and muscle tissue. And this is preparing the body for the upcoming birth and facilitating postpartum recovery.
- Fill with a sense of vigor and strength.
- They optimize the functioning of the immune system.
- Protect from disease.
Will yoga help everyone?
It's important to know:
- If a pregnant mother is not an experienced yoga practitioner, then you should abstain from classes until 12 weeks of pregnancy.
- If the mother practiced yoga regularly at least 1 year before pregnancy, then, despite her well-being, she can continue to practice (even in the first trimester), taking into account the peculiarities of the practice of the pregnant woman (certain exercises and techniques are excluded).
Yoga classes for pregnant women with different physical training do not have fundamental differences: the same restrictions and requirements. Moms with better physical fitness can practice asanas for longer.
Before yoga, you should consult with a doctor whose pregnant woman is registered. Today, experts increasingly note the importance of yoga during pregnancy, because it will not only prevent back pain, but also improve the general condition of the body.
Yoga for back pain
The following are the best exercises that apply if you pull your back during pregnancy:
- Back in statics. In this position, the force of gravity is used, the hips and torso are placed on the same plane. This helps relieve pain in the lower back. Lie on your back, relax your arms, lower them along the body and place your legs bent at the knees on a pillow or sofa so that the legs are parallel to the ground. The knees should form an angle of 90 degrees with the body, the neck is relaxed. Keep this pose for at least five minutes.
- Outside the bridge. This exercise helps to lengthen the muscles of the spine and hips. Lie on your back, legs bent at the knees, place at a distance of about the palm of your hand to the buttocks. Put a pillow between your knees. Feet shoulder width apart. While lifting your hips up, hold the pillow with your knees. Do not strain your neck. Hold for 15 seconds, relax and repeat this pose 3-4 more times.
- Feet along the wall. In order to relax your shoulders, you need to lie on your back against the wall and place a yoga block under the lower back. Raise your legs up so that the heels are against the wall. Keep your arms open and relaxed at your sides.
- On shoulders. Like the previous pose, but remove the yoga block from under your back and rest your feet against the wall so that your hips rise to face level. The result is an even line from the knees to the shoulders. This pose allows you to get rid of the body load that the lower back takes on.
- The pose of the child. The child’s position relaxes the sacrum and lower back, slowing the heart rate. Place the roller or pillow between the knees and place them, the toes touch each other. Sit with your hips on your feet and relax your chest on the cushion for support. Turn your head to one side and breathe deeply. Remain in this position for as long as it will be comfortable, alternately changing the position of the head in the opposite direction.
Yoga for the prevention of back pain
If the back hurts in early pregnancy, and for prevention in general, the following exercises can be performed:
- "Hero". Sit on a pillow, knees connected, and feet apart. Straighten the feet so that even the little fingers on the feet touch the floor. Straighten up and raise your hands, holding the opposite elbows with your palms.
- "The cat and the cow." This posture contributes to bilateral flexion and extension of the spine, while gravity loads the shoulders and hips. Stand in the position of the table and put your hands directly under your shoulders, and knees directly under your hips. Inhale and look forward, exhale and lower your head.
- Leans forward with the touch of the toes. Connect the toes and heels apart to relax the lower back. Bend forward with elbows bent. Reach for the toes.
- Lunge forward. Make a deep lunge forward with your left foot. The right hand touches the floor, the palm is turned back (thus the shoulders go back). The left hand reaches for the floor above the knee. The upper body rests on the knee, thus lengthening the spine. Repeat with the other leg.
- U-turn torso sitting. This pose allows you to stretch the thoracic (pectoral) muscles with the help of body rotation. Straighten one leg and bend the other. The feet are directed forward, and the knee up. Turn towards the bent knee, hug him with the opposite arm. Put the other hand behind for balance.
- "Pose of wisdom." This exercise helps to expand the lumbar spine and works out the full range of motion in the hip joints. Sit straight. Bend the left leg at the knee, the right is extended in front of you. The foot of the left foot touches the knee of the right foot. Place your right hand on your left knee, left hand behind, for balance. Twist to the left with the body, while the head turns to the right. Repeat for the opposite side.
Before any treatment, whether it is a back massage or yoga, consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist is necessary.