All About Back Pain During Pregnancy
Being pregnant can be uncomfortable. And why not? – The responsibility of rearing a child begins from the womb, and thanks to the many myths floating around, women tend to worry about things that don’t really count for a lot when it comes to affecting the health of their baby.
Yes, you can eat sushi or smoked salmon, take hot baths, pet your cat and fly; regardless of whether you are in your first or last trimester.
Yet this is very different from the fact that most people going through a pregnancy will experience back pain. It is considered to be one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy and should be given proper attention unlike the aforementioned myths that, by any stretch of one’s imagination, are unhelpful, to say the least.
But why does back pain occur during pregnancy?
Since pregnancy is all about gaining weight and a bigger belly, your lower back has to curve a little more in order to handle the weight better – leading to strained muscles and back pain. However, this isn’t the only reason why back pain occurs; as, with your uterus growing, your body’s center of gravity shifts forward and piles the pressure onto your lower back.
Also, thanks to a hormone known as ‘relaxin’, which inhibits muscular contractions of the uterus and stretches your ligaments and loosens your joints, it’s certain that almost every pregnant woman is guaranteed to have an aching back, at least at some point during their pregnancy. Yet, this hormone is necessary because if it isn’t released by the ovaries, this could result in the abortion of the child.
So, now that we’re clear about why back pain occurs during pregnancy, it wouldn’t be complete to leave women who are pregnant hanging without a few tips to alleviate the sometimes excruciating pain.
Posture
Similar to people who suffer from back pain not necessarily related to pregnancy, women must be aware of their posture when sitting as it will strain the spine. Worse still is crossing your legs as it will strain those vulnerable muscles further as your pelvis tilts forward.
You can use a footrest to elevate your feet slightly.
Move Responsibly
Avoid standing or sitting for too long, lifting heavy weights and don’t stretch for things that are out of your reach. Most of all, watch out for gestational weight gain, and stay within the limits as prescribed by your physician.
Relax
A soothing massage, doing yoga, taking warm baths, wearing the right shoes and sleeping on firm mattresses are all good suggestions that will help reduce or even eliminate back pain during pregnancy.
If the pain still continues to persist, then it’s time to pencil in a date with your doctor so that you can find relief as soon as possible – even if by alternative methods such as physical therapy, acupuncturists and chiropractors.
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