subject: Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy [print this page] Back pain is one of the most common complaints of pregnant women. The changes that your body undergoes during pregnancy can often contribute to some of the factors that lead to back pain. Avoiding back pain during pregnancy is quite possible however, because there are things you can do to strengthen your back and other muscle groups that support it. There are a number of exercises for back pain that are easy to do that will help make your back stronger and much less susceptible to injury and pain.
Another daily activity that can result in back pain during pregnancy is the way you get in or out of bed. When you attempt to move out from the bed, you should avoid the transition movement from supine (flat on your back) to a long sitting position (sitting with legs straight in front of you). This requires significant abdominal strength and places strain on your lower back. During pregnancy, the abdominals are stretched and weaker and thus increased the risk of resulting in pregnancy back pain.
The two most common patterns of back pain among pregnant women are lumbar pain and pelvic pain. Others experience both symptoms. If you've experienced any type of low back pain previously even when you were not pregnant, it's most likely that you will have it again during your pregnancy. You are also at higher risk if you have a sedentary lifestyle or if you have poor flexibility, weak back and abdominal muscles.
The cause of lower problems now that you are pregnant can be attributable to the biochemical stress put on your back muscles by the weight of the baby you are carrying. Your abdominal muscles are weakened and stretched, which puts much pressure on your back muscles. As the baby in you increases in size, your abdomen pulls forward and naturally you will want to lean backward. This makes your pelvis and lower back to experience lots of pressure.
There is an increase in the level of hormones in the later stages of pregnancy. These hormones soften the ligaments in the pelvic area and loosen up the joints for the birthing process. This affects the support you normally have for your back. Also, as the size of your uterus and the weight of the fetus increases, the center of gravity shifts. Furthermore, the abdominal muscles expand and weaken causing a strain on your back.
One of the common causes of pregnancy-related backache is that women tend to reduce their activity level substantially. The wise way is to keep moving but in a reasonable way. You should incorporate some light exercises to your daily life under the supervision of your doctor. Generally, the best exercises are the ones that gently strengthen and stretch your abdominal and back muscles.
The abdominal support results in the alleviation of the pressure felt by the bladder, as well better circulation near the pelvis. The support belt also reduces the chances of getting contractions and further allows pregnant women more freedom when doing exercises.Your overall posture is immediately improved due to the distribution of weight changing from the front to the middle part of your body.
