Q: I am in the middle of my first pregnancy and I have begun to notice lower back pain. Can you offer any advice as to how I might reduce the pain?
A: Pregnancy can be a joyous time in a woman’s life. But it also puts its particular demands on a woman’s body. As the baby grows and mother gains weight, one of those demands is an ever-shifting center of gravity that forces many parts of the body to adjust. Among those parts is the lower back, which is always working to keep us balanced and stable. So lower, or lumbar, back pain is a relatively common occurrence during pregnancy. It’s not something though, that you’d want to bring into the delivery room with you. Here are some tips to keep in mind during your pregnancy:
- Follow your doctor’s recommendations on nutrition to keep weight under control. The more weight you gain, the more stress on your body.
- Don’t sleep flat on your back. Sleep on your side. Pillows between the knees will help you stay comfortable.
- Put fashion aside and wear sturdy, supportive shoes. Slip-ons will spare you having to bend over.
- Use a pregnancy specific low back support brace if needed in the third trimester to reduce the strain of the baby on your lower back.
- Watch your posture when sitting or standing. Don’t slouch and try to keep your shoulders back. This makes for more stability and less negative force to the spine and muscles.
If persistent back pain is still a problem, visit a chiropractor. Chiropractic treatment during pregnancy is both safe and effective. You don’t want to expose the baby to the side effects of any drugs to control pain and there is ample literature to support the use of chiropractic and massage – even stretching – to reduce the pain of pregnancy on the back. Use natural approaches to control pain in this critical point of your baby’s development and you’ll be surprised at how effective it is by how good you can feel throughout the pregnancy. As a side note, I have noticed by working with countless pregnant patients that less muscle tension and better pelvic alignment usually equal easier delivery when it is time to have the baby.
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