Back Pain In Pregnancy

400AA woman’s body goes through a huge amount of changes in the nine months that she is carrying a baby.

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Not alone will her stomach swell, but chances are her hair will be thicker and shinier, her nails longer and her skin brighter. Unfortunately, there can be some negative side effects to the changes taking place too though - swelling of joints, tiredness, and stretch marks are all very common complaints. As if that wasn’t enough, the extra weight of the baby, the blood cells and amniotic fluid, all put pressure on the back, leading to more than 70% of women experiencing lower back pain during their pregnancy. For some women, this pain can be so severe that it can affect their ability to do simple daily activities but there is a lot that can be done to ease this pain and prevent it from becoming a long term complaint.

What is the cause of this common complaint?

As a pregnancy progresses and a fetus grows in size and weight, a woman’s posture has to compensate to accommodate carrying all the extra weight. It is thought that a lot of the back pain experienced by pregnant women is due to an exaggeration of the curvature of the lower spine. Furthermore, the muscles that support the lower back are impacted by the stretch in the core muscles that support the womb.

Can I do anything to prevent this?