Back Pain During Pregnancy and How to Control It.

One of the most common problems women experience during pregnancy is back pain. What many don’t know is that there are several easy-to-do exercises that can help you control that problem. But before we talk about those methods, let’s learn about the mechanism behind pregnancy-related back pain. As the second trimester comes around, most women gain betwee 15-25 lbs. Clothes begin to “shrink” and bellies begin to distend. Eating habits worsen, as ice cream and other cravings become your worst enemy. Your attitude towards life changes and your temperament becomes hard to handle. Your back begins to ache constantly. It may become difficult for you to sit or stand for any period of time. According to American Pregnancy Association, 80% of women will experience back pain at some point during their pregnancies. Over the years at our Chicago chiropractic clinics over 75% of our pregnant patients reported back pain issues. The severity of this pain during pregnancy ranges from mild discomfort after standing for long periods of time to debilitating pain that interferes with daily life. The body compensates for changed center of gravity, which causes an increase in postural strain. Strengthening the abdominal muscles, back muscles, pelvic floor, buttock, and thigh muscles can effectively help prevent and decrease back pain. It is recommended that the strengthening exercises be performed in a slow and controlled manner. The strengthening poses can be held for 3 to 10 seconds and repeated 10 to 30 times. Breathe out during the exertion phase of the exercise and inhale as you relax. The following are suggested exercises: For abdominal muscles, do Pelvic Tilts: Lying on the back with knees bent, feet resting on the floor, place your hand in the small of your back, until you notice a space between your back and the floor. Now try to flatten the lower part of the spine against the floor, so that you feel no space between your back and the floor. The buttocks should be relaxed in order to isolate the abdominals. The pelvic tilt can be performed while lying on your back, standing, on your hands and knees, or sitting. For back muscles and buttock, perform Arm and Leg Raises: Kneeling on your hands and knees with your spine straight, do a pelvic tilt to keep your pelvis stable and then lift your right arm and left leg to form a straight line with your spine. Pause in this position and then slowly lower your arm and leg. Alte ate lifting the opposite arm and leg. For pelvic floor muscles, do the Kegal exercises: To exercise the pelvic floor muscles, try to envision pulling the muscles of the vaginal area up and in towards your baby. You should not feel your buttocks, thighs, or abdominals tightening as you do this. For abdominal muscles, buttock muscles and thigh muscles, do wall squats: Stand with your head, shoulders, and back against a wall with your feet about 1 to 2 feet away from the wall. Press your lower back into the wall and squat as if you were going to sit down, with the knees approaching a 90-degree angle. Come back up slowly, keeping your back and buttocks in contact with the wall. For more pregnancy tips and other wellness-related information please visit http://www.advancedphysicalmedicine.org and click through to our blog.