9 ways to relieve back pain

One of the most common aches and pains in pregnancy, is back pain. The area of the back most affected is the lower back, in the lumbar spine but additionally some women get pain in the mid or upper back, known as the thoracic spine. The lower back undergoes a vast amount of anatomical changes during pregnancy. This is to accommodate the growing baby, and change in your centre of gravity. During the course of your pregnancy, the curve in your lower back slowly flattens and can disappear. Your pelvis/hips can also rotate forwards to accommodate the baby too. Hormonal changes effect your muscles, ligaments and joints too. The hormone responsible for this is the Relaxin hormone. Relaxin is important as it ‘loosens’ your muscles, joints and ligaments to allow your body to expand, making room for the growing baby.

How can you prevent it?

As an Osteopath, my best advice to prevent any kind of muscle pain in pregnancy is exercise. Why exercise? The Relaxin hormone mentioned above, whilst has a role to play, it is not limited to where it is needed and effects every muscle, joint and ligament in the body. Exercise is the best way to combat this by increasing your muscular strength to support your ligaments and joints. Always seek advice from your trusted medical professional before taking up an exercise regime. There are personal trainers that specialise in pregnancy that are amazing. Additionally to make you stick to the exercise, choose something you enjoy. Great types of exercise include; swimming, walking, pilates, at home pregnancy programs (weight training is great). To support the lower back, key muscles include; the core, pelvic floor, hamstrings and glut’s. Bridge exercises are great for these muscle groups. All exercise, regardless of type should feel like ‘good pain’ and not ‘bad pain’. Good pain referring to using a muscle and bad pain referring to triggering your back pain or hurting in the wrong way. 

Also seeing an Osteopath early into your pregnancy for maintenance treatments to help prevent pain can be very useful. Treatment helps the body adapt to the changes that occur in pregnancy. Osteopathic treatment is a safe and effective form of hands-on, physical therapy. We treat the entire body, rather than just where a patient might be sore. By treating the whole body, it addresses all areas of the body that might not be working as well as it could be, leading to the area of pain. For example a sore lower back, if the neck, shoulders and upper back are too tight and restricted this places further strain on the lower back, limiting its function, thus creating pain. 

How can you relieve it?

Wheat bag

Applying heat to the area can help relieve the pain. Just make sure it isn’t too hot.

Gentle movement

Movement is your best friend. Avoiding sitting for long periods, or anything that requires you to remain in the same posture for an extended period of time.

Get up frequently from your desk

Ideally every 20minutes stand up, roll your shoulders and reset your posture. Then every hour take a ‘micro break’ and walk to the kitchen and back. This ‘wakes up’ your lower back, flushes away any inflammation, increases blood flow and helps avoid muscles and joints stiffening up. 

Massage ball

Use a spiky massage ball or tennis ball in the area you feel the pain but also your entire back, glut’s and other muscles that are tight and/or sore. Direct pressure to the area helps reduce the neural pain pathway, stimulates blood flow and reduces inflammation.

Swaying movement

Standing up, sway your hips side to side gently. This gently articulates/moves your lower back muscles and joints. Additionally try drawing circles with your pelvis/hips. These should be a slow, small and painless movement.

Stretch

Yoga Cat/Cow stretch

On all 4’s, curl your tailbone/pelvis under and slowly arch your back upwards, hold, then slowly lowering back down.

Yoga Child’s pose

Providing your belly doesn’t get in the way, this stretch can help stretch your back. Sitting on your bent knee’s, which can be in a V position, arms straight out in front of you, lean forwards.

Hug knee’s to chest

Again this is a great stretch if your belly allows. Lying on your back, hug your knee’s to your chest and hold. You can draw circles with your knee’s to loosen your back too. If you belly is in the way, have your knee’s slightly dropped out in a V position, either side of your belly. 

Sarah Boughtwood Osteopath

Pregnancy & Postnatal Osteopath

50 East Coast Rd, Milford, Auckland

@sarahboughtwoodosteopath

www.sarahboughtwoodosteopath.co.nz

021 139 7270