Pregnancy Back Pain

Back Pain in Pregnancy.

Between 50-90% of women develop back pain during their pregnancy. So never fear, you are not alone!

As your body adapts to pregnancy both hormonally and physically, you will notice a change in your posture and general stability surrounding your back, pelvis and hips. The growing weight of your baby all carried at your front contributes to increased spinal curves and stresses in the back while the pregnancy hormones are causing increased laxity in the ligaments that hold your pelvis together and keep it stable.

• Is pregnancy the first time you have ever experienced aches and pains in the back?
• Is the back pain you have suffered from pre-pregnancy become worse or changed a little now that you are pregnant?
• Are you having difficulty – walking, rolling over in bed or climbing stairs without pain?
• All of this is normal and very common in pregnancy. There are, however, steps you can take to manage your back pain and enjoy your pregnancy more pain free

What can I do to manage my back pain during pregnancy?

There is a growing body of research supporting effective strategies for managing your back pain. These include:

• Gentle and specific exercise programs to target your core muscles deep in the pelvis and spine. Attending The FITMUMs prenatal Pilates and core stability classes will do just this to improve the support and stability around your spine.
• Wearing external supports such as pelvic belts to assist with improving your pelvic joint stability. With correct prescription by your physiotherapist, evidence suggests that 82% of pregnant women will enjoy reduced pain wearing these.
• Improving your postural awareness to minimise any extra undue pressures on your spine.
• Be cautious about how you’re moving you body and take necessary steps to reduce your chances of aggravating the joint/s involved.

Will treatment help me?

Yes, evidence suggests that one of, or a combination of the above strategies will decrease your pregnancy back pain.

Will I suffer from this back pain for life?

No, this is rarely the case. Research concludes that effective management to stabilise and support the spine in pregnancy and beyond results in a good postnatal prognosis. This means that nearly all pregnancy back pain will resolve within a year, and most within 6 months. Rarely, some pain will continue for up to 2 years, but these were women that suffered from multiple and complicated back and pelvic joint pain during pregnancy.

Our postnatal Pilates and core stability classes will target mobility and strengthening of the spine and pelvis in your post-pregnancy body. This will assist you in reducing any of your ongoing back pain and return your spine to a pre-pregnancy alignment.