Congratulations, you are expecting! Knowing that you are carrying a living, breathing human being for the next 9 months or so is indescribable. However, pregnancy beckons a few challengesincluding the dreaded lower back pains.
Pregnancy back pains increase as your belly grows bigger, and it affects your daily life including standing to sleep. You don’t have to suffer through the pain because there are ways to relieve lower back pain during pregnancy.
What Causes Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy?
Lower back pain is often caused by weight gain during pregnancy, which also affects posture and may cause muscle imbalance.
Including the hormonal changes that your body goes through during pregnancy, the effect is felt most on the mid and lower back. Lower back pains are experienced at any stage of gestation. During the initial stage, it is often caused when the hormone progesterone softens up the discs and back ligaments to allow embryo implantation.
As pregnancy progresses, the hormone relaxin is produced to relax the pelvic muscles in readiness for birth. The hormone is responsible for the pain and inflammation experienced by other joints of the body.
Also as the fetus grows and uterus expands, the abdominal muscles are unable to support proper posture, and the additional weight places strain on the lower back.
How to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain
- Back Exercises
One of the ways to relieve pregnancy back pain is to do back exercises. The focus should be on workouts that give the back a good stretch such as pelvic tilts.
Working out, in general, can be very beneficial during pregnancy. Pick up exercises like swimming, walking, and yoga. Working out reduces anxiety and stress.
- Work on your Posture
While your center of gravity will shift during pregnancy owing to your growing belly; it is important to work on your posture as a way of reducing back pain.
When standing, make sure to stand straight, tall with your shoulders back and down. Make sure that your buttocks are aligned underneath. The more often you practice it will soon become second nature.
- Pregnancy Pillows/ Pregnancy Wedges
Pregnancy wedges or pregnancy pillows can significantly help to relieve back pain when sleeping. They minimize added tension to the back muscles when in a sleeping position.
A pregnancy pillow that allows you to put it between your legs can help alleviate back strain when sleeping on the side.
- Get a Maternity Belt
A Quality maternity belt can significantly prevent and reduce on pregnancy back pain.
The maternity belt lifts the belly up and is wrapped around the lower back. This drastically reduces the work that the lower and mid back have to do to support the bump hence relieving the back pain.
- Dress Appropriately
It is time to hang your high-heeled shoes and tight pants during your pregnancy. Get pants that you can wear low beneath your belly for added support.
Get flat shoes that offer arch support.
- Warm Compress
Placing a heating pad on your aching back can help to relieve the pain. Be sure to set the heating pad to the lowest setting.
Alternatively, you can take a warm bath to try to relieve back pains. If the pain is unbearable, try lying on the bathroom floor on your knees and back to let warm water from the shower flow directly on your back.
In summary, back pains during pregnancy occur due to both hormonal changes and weight gain. However, you can reduce pregnancy back pain using the tips discussed above. Check these amazing benefits of joining a pregnancy yoga classes, in case this is something that might interest you.
