Pregnancy and Osteopathy
Aches and pains during pregnancy? There are common issues that arise due to changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy that can posture and function. Around 50-75% of women will experience backache at some stage during their pregnancy. This could be the upper or lower spine or even both. About 33% of this group will find this quite a problem, and it will inhibit their lifestyle.
Backache can sometimes be complicated by sciatica, a shooting nerve pain down the buttock and back of one leg. This is when the back and pelvis are out of alignment and pinch the nerve where the bones are joined at the sacrum by relaxed ligaments.
The common causes:
- Pregnancy hormones – These affect the ligaments in the back and pelvis to enable them to become more “elastic” in order to allow for expansion to make room for the baby. However this can have a detrimental affect on the stability of this region and can be more prone to injury.
- Weakened abdominal muscles – The abdominal muscles are weakened as they stretch with the growing baby. Weakening of these muscles means that performing tasks such as picking up objects and sitting up from lying down become harder to accomplish and the workload shifts to the lower back muscles, straining the back and making the muscles short and tight.
- Poor posture – Shifts in the center of gravity and changes to the spine that occur during pregnancy as shown in the picture can lead poor posture and altered walking patterns from overcompensation. Some typical examples are to throw their shoulders back, hunch forward, push their bottoms and belly out in opposite directions, tilting their pelvis forward and shifting their weight onto the back of their heels – all of which increase the curve of the low back and can put enormous strain on the area causing pain.
- Rib flaring – in late pregnancy the baby can push up under the ribs and diaphragm and cause the ribs to flare out to some degree. This can put strain on the upper back between the shoulder blades and make it hard to breathe.
- Baby position – The position of the baby can cause backache in late pregnancy. If the baby’s back is against the woman’s back this can press on her sacrum, causing discomfort. If the woman has injured her tailbone or ‘coccyx’ she may find sitting very painful during the pregnancy. Note: Pelvic rocking on the hands and knees may help shift the baby more to the front and relieve the pain
- Incorrect lifting – incorrect lifting, sitting and moving techniques can twist and strain back ligaments and muscles unnecessarily. This damage is usually caused by the normal day to day movements that can continually aggravate the back. Sometimes this will happen with the occasional task that involves heavy lifting or twisting of the back.
The team at Reservoir Osteopathic Clinic can help alleviate and in some cases prevent these problems from occurring. This is achieved by directing you to correct techniques for sleeping and moving to strengthening, stretching or easing the associated muscles with gentle techniques designed to not place stress on the mother or growing child and tailored to you as an individual.