subject: Why Women Get Back Pain, Muscular Aches and Other Symptoms Following Childbirth [print this page] Why Women Get Back Pain, Muscular Aches and Other Symptoms Following Childbirth
Thank you for downloading this article from www.HampsteadOsteopathy.com. If you are suffering with back, neck, shoulder, arm or wrist pains you are not alone. In fact, they are so common that many women think that nothing can be done to help and that they just have to put up with these symptoms. This is not true. In this article I will discuss why these symptoms are so common amongst new mums and explore how osteopathic treatment can help
Repetitive lifting, carrying and feeding
As a new mum you will have to lift and carry your child hundreds of times a week. Often you will be picking them up from the floor and then carrying them on one side (often the same side each time), whilst simultaneously trying to reach back down to pick up the toys that they have left behind for you to step on. Feeding is also performed in a variety of poses. These repetitive actions place significant asymmetric strains on areas like the back, shoulder, neck, arm and wrist. Simple exercises like shoulder rolls and good techniques for lifting, carrying and feeding, such as remembering to use alternate arms can make a big difference.
Weak abdominal muscles and increased weight
Nine months of pregnancy stretches the abdominal muscles, increases your weight and body's fat stores and massively changes your posture and gait (how you walk). These changes makes the abdominal muscles feel very weak and unable to support the lower back. What's more, the pregnancy hormones relaxin continues to act on the ligaments making them more lax for approximately five months after childbirth. All of this means that the lifting and carrying you do, places more pressure on the joints, ligaments and discs of the lower back and can make them more vulnerable to injury and misalignment. If you do get a pain or injury it is important to get early diagnosis and treatment as this can make significantly reduce the amount of time that you have to live with your symptoms.
Poor posture
A poor posture tends to exacerbates or even cause symptoms. The lower back often has a deeper curve inwards (lordosis), the shoulders are tight and slumped forward and the upper back feels very restricted.
Wearing comfortable shoes and getting advice about how to improve and maintain good posture can help many of the problems described above. You can also purchase maternity support belts, SI belts and other rehabilitation and exercise equipment if these are needed (click Products for details).
How can osteopathy help?
Osteopaths work on the principle that a person's well-being depends on the skeleton, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues functioning smoothly together. In other words, for your body to stop hurting, each area of your body needs to work efficiently so that no one area ends up doing too much work. Diagnosis is made by taking a detailed case history, doing a comprehensive examination and palpating (a highly developed sense of touch) different areas of the body. Once the problem areas have been identified treatment is given using physical manipulation, stretching and massage to increase the mobility of joints, to relieve muscle tension, to enhance the blood and nerve supply to tissues, and to help your body's own healing mechanisms (click Treatment for details). Posture and gait are also corrected and exercises are also usually given to aid recovery, promote health and prevent symptoms recurring.
