Pregnancy Back Pain Relief

Many women suffer from back pain during pregnancy and knowing how to deal with it can often lead to more stress which in turn makes the discomfort even harder to bear. When the pain does get too much it is easy to just curl up in bed and hope that it just goes away. However, rest like this should only be done for short periods of time as it is now known that by lying down for a long time actually makes the pain feel worse. Pregnancy back pain relief is best achieved by exercise and as much activity as possible.

When considering what kind of exercise to embark on, it is always a sensible idea to talk to a midwife or doctor first. There are certain situations when exercise might not be the best course of action to take and they will be able to advise you about this before you even start. Pregnancy back pain relief can be achieved by doing various simple exercises which include stretching. This helps make back muscles and leg muscles more flexible. However, this type of stretching should be done carefully to avoid any extra pressure or strain on joints.

Many specialists recommend prenatal yoga as a way to stay more supple and it does also improve balance. By far one of the most favoured exercises is swimming because it strengthens abdominal and lower back muscles really effectively. Swimming exercises help to relax your muscles. This is thought to help with back pain associated with pregnancy. Walking is one of the best things you can do during a pregnancy for the simple reason that does not require maximum effort and is something that is easy to plan and do on a daily basis.

There are a certain number of women who really suffer from lumbar pain when they are pregnant. Pelvic tilts ease this type of back pain as it stretches muscles as well as strengthening them over a period of time. You have to make sure you do any exercise safely, should you feel uncomfortable in any way you should stop and try some other form of exercise. Your body will soon tell you if you are overdoing it or if the exercise just does not suit you. In brief, listen to what your body is telling you. If you have any doubts about an exercise always consult either your doctor or your midwife and get their expert advice before continuing with it. Keeping a good posture is also essential to relieving back pain. This may sound a hard thing to achieve but the effort pays dividends, so it is important to concentrate your attention of just how you are standing or sitting.

A lot of pregnant women who suffer from back pain try acupuncture to alleviate the discomfort. This form of pain relief stimulates the body's own natural way of dealing with the pain, but it has been shown that although a high percentage of women experienced less pain after the treatment, a small percentage did not feel any difference whatsoever. The thing to remember is that it may take several visits to an acupuncturist in order to feel any benefit from the treatment.

Chiropractors too can play a vital role when it comes to back pain during pregnancy as they can realign joints and especially the spine which in turn relieves nerve pressure that may be causing discomfort. Lumbar support pillows are very effective, especially if you have to sit down for long periods of time. Another good idea is to position a stool under a desk so that you can keep your legs elevated, this will ease any back pressure.

A maternity support belt supports abdominal muscles and is effective if you have to stand up for long spells. They help improve posture and this decreases lower back pressure. When choosing the type of belt, it is best to keep to the simpler ones that are designed with one band around the hips or ones that have a bust and shoulder strap which will provide all over back pain relief.

At the end of the day regular daily exercise will provide the best pregnancy back pain relief. Staying active and setting up a regular exercise routine will not only alleviate the discomfort but will get you in shape too. You are eating for two but the exercise will help you burn off unnecessary calories that make you gain weight. This could be a contributing factor for the back pain you may be experiencing.

Pregnancy Back Pain at Night

Many women suffer with pregnancy back pain at night. This type of night back pain in pregnancy is called nocturnal back pain. You may have it on its own, or concurrently with low back or sacroiliac pain. There are a couple of different theories as to why night back pain develops during pregnancy. One theory is that it is caused by muscle fatigue from being active all day. By the end of the day, your body becomes more fatigued, and thus you feel more discomfort toward the evening hours. The second theory is that nocturnal back pain is due to water retention. This can lead to edema and an increased volume of blood. This additional water in the body can place pressure on the spinal nerves and muscles, resulting in backaches.

Some women have very severe back pain while sleeping during their pregnancy. The most important thing you can do is to avoid sleeping on your back during pregnancy. Lying on your back, or in the supine position, compresses major arteries and veins, namely the inferior vena cava and the aorta. This decreases circulation and allows fluid pressure to build up in the pelvis, which places pressure on the spinal nerves. As your fetus grows, it also puts more and more pressure on your arteries and veins. The farther along you are in your pregnancy, the more important it is to avoid sleeping on your back. The healthiest sleeping position for you and your baby is on your sides. Resting on your left side will place the least amount of pressure on your spine. In addition to side sleeping, supporting the uterus can help alleviate night back pain.

To properly support your uterus, lay on your side with pillows under your abdomen and between your legs. This will help to support your uterus and keep your spine in a neutral position. There are several wonderful pregnancy pillows that can help to make sleeping much more comfortable. It is also important to make special efforts during the day to adjust your posture in ways that will help prevent muscle fatigue. Be sure to take frequent breaks from standing or sitting. If you must sit or stand for long periods of time, elevate one foot on a low stool or foot rest. Also, wear good, supportive shoes, and avoid wearing high heeled shoes, which place extra strain on the back. It is also possible to manage pregnancy back pain at night by maintaining a regular exercise program. Regular exercise will help strengthen and support the spine, therefore helping to minimize strain and muscle fatigue.

Exercise and postural adjustments will help to minimize night time back pain, but may not completely prevent it. Many women find pain relief in alternative approaches such as acupuncture and massage therapy, though this relief may be only temporary. There are a variety of gentle hands on techniques that can be performed at home, which are also beneficial for relieving pregnancy related back pain. Unfortunately, anti-inflammatory medications such as motrin, advil, and aspirin are contraindicated during pregnancy. The only pain reliever considered safe during pregnancy is acetaminophen. Soaking in a hot tub or whirlpool is not recommended during pregnancy. You may however find a warm, not hot, bath can soothe your sore back. Try adding Epsom salt to a warm bath to help relieve pain.

Pregnancy And Lower Back Pain, What Every Pregnancy Woman Should Know

Back pain and pregnancy, tips on what you can do to make your pregnancy and lower back pain a little easier to deal with.

Normal weight gain in pregnancy is about 35 pounds, but lots of women I have met over my twenty-year midwifery career gained 35 pounds to 70 pounds during pregnancy. The stress of sudden weight gain during the short cycle of pregnancy can cause back pain and pregnancy misery.

Pregnancy posture change:

Pregnancy and lower back pain happens because of pregnancy weight gain and the automatic adjustments your body makes in posture to accommodate the growing womb. This change in posture is called pregnancy lordosis. Upper and lower back pain and pregnancy lordosis go hand in hand because your spine becomes super curved, elongated, and your breast and buttocks stick out pulling and stretching your back muscles.

Pregnancy hormones:

On top of this, back pain and pregnancy go hand in hand because of the higher levels of pregnancy hormones you produce. Pregnancy hormones have a relaxing effect on many of the muscles in your body to accommodate the muscle stretching that is required during pregnancy. Relaxed muscles are not as supportive to the spine and abdominal muscles, therefore many women complain of back pain and pregnancy shoulder stress.

Pregnancy pelvic changes:

The female pelvis is made up of many different bones. When you get towards the end of your pregnancy, a baby cannot fit to a normal-sized woman's pelvis without the pelvis opening and expanding. The pelvis has two major joints; one towards the right and one towards the left of your lower back along with a hinge joint at the very tail end of your spine.

Back pain and pregnancy ligament pulling and stretching is a direct result of your pelvis opening, which will allow your baby's head to engage or enter into the cavity of your pelvis. Pregnancy and lower back pain is also caused by the excess pressure felt deep within your pelvis as your baby sits and waits for labor to commence.

All of these factors taken together, it is not unusual for pregnant women to get backache. So if you get a backache straight away start doing things to prevent your backache from getting worse or getting out of control.

How to help minimize symptoms associated with pregnancy and lower back pain:

I definitely recommend having nice warm bath soaks, putting nice warm compresses on your back, or even better still having back massages to help with your pregnancy and lower back pain.

I would absolutely recommend that every pregnant woman go to see a chiropractor during pregnancy. A lot of traditional obstetrician, gynecologist and midwives are a little afraid of sending the women to a chiropractor because they are just not informed as to what chiropractors actually do. A chiropractor can help your spine accommodate easier to all the posture changes that happens during your pregnancy and relieve pain associated to pulled and stressed muscles associated to pregnancy and lower back pain

Apart from that, let us look at what things can you do to your own body to help minimize back pain and pregnancy. Wearing a good supporting bra during your pregnancy will support the increased breast weight and uplift your breasts so they do not feel so heavy. This will alleviate a lot of the upper back stress associated with pregnancy and lower back pain.

There are also a lot of pregnancy stomach binders that have been created to help support the weight of your growing womb which can help relieve back pain and pregnancy ligament discomfort.

Many women are focused on fashionable shoes and wear ridiculous footwear during pregnancies that do not support their posture and feet. I cannot believe how many pregnant women out there are wearing ridiculously high shoes or low shoes. Remember, as you become more and more pregnant all the bones and muscles within your feet are stressed.

Take a good look at the shoes you are wearing during your pregnancy and ask yourself these questions to evaluate the importance of your feet:

Do your shoes have a good supportive arch in them?

Are your shoes nice and wide to accommodate the increasing growth and widening of my foot associated to extra blood volume and swelling that occurs during pregnancy?

Can your foot easily slip out of your shoe? If so you could trip and fall and injure yourself or your baby.

The more informed you are about pregnancy the better choices you will make. Better choices mean a happier healthier mom and baby. Pregnancy can be an extraordinary experience for a woman. It is far more than growing a baby and understanding pregnancy and lower back pain.

Pregnancy has a huge emotional, mental, spiritual, and energetic side to it. The more you understand these aspects, the easier and less symptomatic your pregnancy will be. Learning how to connect with the emotions of your unborn child will allow you to enhance your pregnancy experience and surrender to its normal physiological process of pregnancy and lower back pain.