A woman stepping into motherhood is always a pleasant sight to behold. She embraces her new identity, a bearer of a new life and often at this time they are asked to be extra cautious with themselves. Being at her peak pregnancy stage, a woman is stronger than ever but that’s when we speak of her mental status.
As a carrier of a new life, the abode of the new born babe is indeed a fragile structure and at this very juncture the mother to be might experience some bodily problems, one of them being lower back pains.
As a carrier of a new life, the abode of the new born babe is indeed a fragile structure and at this very juncture the mother to be might experience some bodily problems, one of them being lower back pains.
Is lower Back Pain a Sign of Pregnancy?
You may not be pregnant and you find yourself struggling with lower back pain. When you’re trying to conceive, the gap between your ovulation and your pregnancy test can be a difficult time. Most women don’t experience any symptoms, while some have nausea, tiredness, sore breasts and of course, the most common symptom, backache. Backache is usually the first symptoms of pregnancy that appears before the missed period and continues all through pregnancy.
Is lower Back Pain Normal in Early Pregnancy?
Back ache, especially lower back pain is very common in pregnancy. There’s stress on the back as the uterus is expanding to accommodate a growing baby. This is your body’s way of preparing for the arrival of your baby and this puts a lot of stress on the joints and ligaments. Most studies reveal that more than 50% of pregnant women experience backache through their pregnancy and the pain is mostly centered on the lower back. For some, the pain is mild and for some, the pain is acute. See a doctor, if the pain persists.
When is Lower Back Pain during Pregnancy Serious?
Our bodies react differently and the threshold for pain varies from one to another. Hormones, stress, incorrect posture and weight gain are some of the common reasons for lower back pain during pregnancy. However, if your pain is severe and you’re not able to do anything, and disrupts your daily life,you must see a doctor at once. In case you experience any bleeding, fever or burning sensation while passing urine, it could indicate a serious condition and will require immediate medical attention.
Reasons for Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy:
Here are some of the reasons for lower back pain during pregnancy:
1. Hormones: During pregnancy, your body goes through hormonal changes and these changes loosen the joints and ligaments to easy the delivery process. A hormone called “relaxin” is produced when you’re pregnant and this hormone relaxes the joints to aid your delivery, it also causes backaches during pregnancy.
2. The growing uterus puts a lot of stress on your back and the weight gain tends to shift your center of gravity, which could affect your posture. You will notice that your walk and sit changes to accommodate your growing body.
3. Stress: Stress causes your muscles at the back to tighten and cause lower back pain. Pregnant women go through a series of emotions during pregnancy.
4. Imbalance of muscles: With your uterus growing and loosened joints, this can cause your muscles to become tight or tender causing your back to ache. This causes further tension of the muscles.
Generally, women who experience lower back pain during their first pregnancy, there are high chances of backaches in their subsequent pregnancies. Pregnancy is a beautiful phase for a woman; you don’t to tolerate these backaches. There are simple and easy techniques that you can follow to ease your pain.
1. Occurrence:
Before we move on to the remedies for lower back pain in pregnancy and let’s talk about the cause for this lower back pain and then discuss how to get relief from lower back pain during pregnancy.
2. Sleeping Positions:
One possible cause for this might be because of a bad sleeping posture. Often during pregnancy, the mother is weak ad fragile since she has to take care of a baby inside her, feeding from her. The bones are weak and soft at this time allowing the baby to make more space for itself and due to a bad sleeping posture, there is a chance that you might have pulled a muscle somewhere near the end of your marrow causing the pain.
3. More Space Shuffle:
In another possible situation, the baby inside grows and grows until it is a good two pound ready to be born. In the womb stretching and tossing, the baby finds itself more and more cluttered with each passing day. His body grows but there is only a limited space in the womb to expand and thus the baby has to forcibly make space for itself by pushing and stretching the bones. This is possibly one of the highest suspects of back pain occurrence for pregnant ladies.
4. Those Extra Pounds:
A woman gains more than 10 pounds on a normal pregnancy routine. A healthy baby and a healthy mother would always account for more weight now. A normal human body is not accustomed to this sudden pressure, one of the reasons why your marrow and your lower body now feel painful and rigid, owing to the extra weight. However, this is a passing phenomenon.
5. Mental Stability:
Often doctors say, during pregnancy a woman’s emotion is awry. She feels hunger pangs and depression one second and in the very next she feels anxiety and sadness. Stress and depression too has been related with back spasms and muscle pains.
6. The Remedies That You May Opt For:
You do not have to sit and wait for the pain to go away. There are some handy remedies that you might want to opt for just to get the pain off you back.
See More: Avoid Back Pain
7. Acupuncture:
The ancient Chinese art of healing pains and knots in your body came in the form of sharp needles being poked in certain knotted area of your body. The word puncture plays a big role in acupuncture where doctors or professional acupuncturists insert needles in your back, the pain area to be exact where they believe the flow of qui or body energy is being restricted through knots. Opening these knots through acupuncture would give you instant relief. This is the best treatment for back pain.
8. Stretch it Out:
A little exercise early in the morning will take care of that stubborn pain right away. Simple yoga during pregnancy would not only help you stabilize your mental presence but at the same time, the little stretching exercises would help you get rid of those pain pangs in your back.
See More: Causes Of Lower Back Pain
9. Home Remedy:
There are always small home ailments that you might want to opt for such as the hot and cold compress. Purchase one of those gel compresses and refrigerate one while you warm up that hot bag. Alternate between the two compresses and rid yourself of that back pain. Often you get gels and over the counter message creams as well. A good lavish massage on the back would get that pain off as well. This is one of the best ways to lower back pain during pregnancy.
10. Chiropractic Manipulation:
For women experiencing severe lower back pain during pregnancy, chiropractic methods have proven to be effective with pain relief. Chiropractors choose methods suitable to your needs. Chiropractors keep the spine and pelvis aligned using chiropractic adjustments. This alignment eases pain ensuring you enjoy every bit of your pregnancy
11. Prenatal Yoga:
Prenatal yoga is the most preferred choice for pregnant women as it is an effective pain relief technique. Yoga addresses pains in joints, muscles and back. Along with providing physical relief from pain, prenatal yoga helps deal with emotional stress during pregnancy. Proven techniques like deep breathing helps you relax your mind and muscles. It also improves posture and helps you stay fit.
12. Maternity Belt:
These belts for pregnant women provide optimum support to your growing belly and lower back. It takes away the stress on the back by giving a firmer support and improves your posture. You can wear this belt for just a few hours in a day. These belts are available in various sizes that cater to women carrying multiple babies. Maternity belts are available online and maternity stores.
See More: Best Treatment For Lower Back Pain
Here are a few ways listed on how to get relief from lower back pain during pregnancy:
- Mild Exercises – Exercises such as walking, swimming, yoga under trained experts.
- Good posture – Ensure you sit up straight, walk with your back straight. Don’t lock your knees when you stand. Try a more relaxed stance.
- Try to sleep on the side to help relax your back. Pregnancy pillows can be used to support your knees and belly.
- Try cold or hot compress as they aid in providing relief to those aching muscles.
- Therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic treatments have proven to be effective in women with severe lower back pain.
Backaches can be quite a difficult uneasiness to deal with and pain often leads to depression and anxiety. It is best to for you to speak with your caregiver to see what works for you and make exercise a part of your daily regime. You could also try some of the methods discussed in this article to tackle lower back pain and see what works best for you.
Pregnancy is a beautiful phase; you’re growing a human inside of you. Take care of your physical and emotional needs as this has a direct impact on your unborn child. Stay happy, fit and healthy.
I hope above article lower back pain in pregnancy is very useful to you.