Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Causes of Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy - Tips to Help Pregnant Women Suffering From This Pain


Each year, more than four million women in America give birth, among which two out of every three women suffers from pelvic and lower back pain during pregnancy. Most times these symptoms will vanish within three months after delivery.

There are two main reasons for back pain during pregnancy:

1. Hormone Relaxin: During your pregnancy period, the relaxin (a sex hormone of the corpus luteum that facilitates birth by causing relaxation of the pelvic ligaments) exists in your body is ten times more than its usual level. All the joints in your pelvis is been relaxed by this hormone, to provide enough room for your baby to come out from the birth canal. Oftentimes, the hormone results to abnormal motion in different new joints of your body, which leads to swelling and pain.

2. Growing Fetus: When the fetus is growing, your abdominal wall stretches so as to hold the expanding womb. The additional room required for this need to come somewhere from your body. Stretching your abdominal muscles during your pregnancy is far beyond the usual level, so the muscles will lose the ability to do its normal function in maintaining the body pressure. Because of these changes, your lower back gets an unusual amount of burden from the torso.

Below are some simple tips to help reduce the pain and possibly prevent lower back pain during pregnancy.

1. Your back muscles need to be strengthened. You can do this safely during your pregnancy period until there is no burden from the torso squeezing the pelvis.

2. Try to decrease the physical activities level. Reducing these activities that put stress on your lower back and pelvis will help relieve pain. Some of the activities include walking long distance, standing on single leg, standing for longer hours, doing household duties that should be done by a woman that is not pregnant etc

3. Follow right ergonomic posture at your place of work. You should take frequent breaks, lie down or some time, and alert yourself on structural strength. Do not lift anything with large weights. Create comfortable work environment.

Getting the right techniques to exercise your back is important. Also you need methods of physical and mental re-education to reduce habitual and unnecessary tension in all your activity through awareness of balance, posture and movement.

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