Preventing Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy
For many women, pregnancy is as full of discomfort and pain as joy and excitement. As baby grows, additional weight and increased stress can put extra demand on a mother’s body posture. An expectant woman’s changing center of gravity can also affect their posture and place additional strain on fatigued muscles – particularly in the lower back.
As the mother’s center of gravity moves forward to support the infant’s development, the extra weight causes a shift in posture and alignment causing most women to slump forward. Over time this poor spinal alignment increases stress on the muscles of the neck, shoulders and mid-back, which are then transferred to the lower back. The lower back is particularly vulnerable to pain because it has the added demand of supporting a pregnancy woman’s increased center of gravity.
While lower back pain is common among expecting mothers, women don’t have to suffer through pregnancy in pain. Women searching for ways to cope with this pain may be surprised how back pain due to incorrect posture and muscle weakness can be directly addressed with a proper physical therapy program. For instance, physical therapists specializing in pregnancy can help expectant mothers correct muscle imbalances, find a comfortable sleeping position, regain postural alignment and body balance, and use braces for lower back support.
This kind of physical therapy can help make pregnancy a lot more comfortable – and enjoyable – for women!