The popular image of the pregnant woman clutching her back as she waddles along may contain more truth than many women would like to admit. Lower back pain is extremely common during pregnancy and equally as difficult to relieve. Luckily, proper treatment and exercise or stretching can help mom catch a break.
Why Does It Hurt?
With hormones, a growing uterus, and that extra weight gain contributing, it's easy to see why pregnant women's backs are strained. These factors can contribute to back pain in the following ways:
- The hormone relaxin, relased during pregnancy, loosens the joints and ligaments connecting the pelvic bone to the spine (KidsHealth). Instability and pain can result, especially when walking, standing or sitting for long periods. This change can also make it difficult to get out of bed, stand up from a chair, bend over, and lift things (BabyCenter).
- The growing uterus shifts a woman's center of gravity and stretches the abdominal muscles forward. There are posture changes and weight shifts, and a pregnant woman's back ends up compensating for the decreased strength of the abdomen. Pain can also result if the uterus presses down on a nerve.
- Extra weight means more work for the entire body, increasing strain on the muscles and joints in particular. Again, the back is forced to overcompensate (BabyCenter).
What Type of Pain Is It?
The two most common forms of back pain during pregnancy are lumbar pain and pelvic pain, often experienced simultaneously by expectant moms. "Lumbar pain occurs in the area of the lumbar vertebrae in your lower back and posterior pelvic pain is felt in the back of your pelvis" (BabyCenter). Less likely, but most commonly misinterpreted, is sciatica.
- Lumbar pain feels like most pre-pregnancy back aches, with pain around waist-height of the spine and often radiating downward to the legs. Sitting or standing for long periods of time can increase this discomfort, as does lifting.
- Pelvic pain hits the back a little lower than lumbar pain, around the tailbone and buttocks or the thighs. Sometimes, pain results just over the pubic pone in the front as well. Walking, climbing stairs, rolling over, twisting, lifting, and holding positions where the hips are bent can trigger or worsen this type of pain (BabyCenter).
- Sciatica is fairly rare, resulting from a herniated or bulging disk in the lower spine. Only 1% of pregnant women have true sciatica (BabyCenter) but many claim they do, misinterpreting lumbar or pelvic pain for this more serious condition. Pain from sciatica is more severe in the legs than the back, sometimes extending below the knee, and is often accompanied by tingling or numbness.
How Can Back Pain Be Relieved?
Some very basic adjustments can ease up the strain and pressure on the lower back and relieve the pain of many expectant women. Breaking up long walks or periods of standing and sitting can keep the muscles from seizing up. Avoiding heavy lifting and maintaining good posture (resisting the urge to push the belly forward) will also help (Kids' Health). For more relief, these suggestions work well:
- Apply a warm towel, warm water bottle, or heating pad on the lowest setting (Kids' Health).
- Choose shoes with a low heel and good arch support. High heels cause excess strain on the legs and back and are best avoided.
- At night, sleep on the left or right side with one knee bent. For more support, place a pregnancy wedge pillow beneath the belly and a pillow between the knees.
- Get a pregnancy massage.
- Try prenatal yoga or other stretching exercises recommended by a doctor.
- If lifting or carrying heavy objects is unavoidable, bend and lift with the knees instead of the back. Try dividing the weight (one shopping bag in each hand) to balance the pressure on the back.
- When getting up from a standing or resting position, use special care not to strain the back and move slowly.
Before starting any new exercise or taking a pain reliever, pregnant woman should be sure to consult with their doctor to be sure it's safe.
References:
- Baby Center. "Low Back Pain During Pregnancy." Baby Center. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
- Kids' Health. "What Can I Do to Relieve My Pregnancy Backaches?" Kids' Hehealth.msn.com/pregnancy/articlepage.aspxalth. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
Stephanie Haddad - Stephanie Haddad is a freelance writer living in the Boston area with her husband, their dog, and their new daughter. She focuses her work ...
