Motherhood Is a beautiful feeling and is always accompanied with joy love and happiness. However motherhood comes for a price & mothers body has to go through many changes in order to prepare for childbirth. Back pain in pregnancy is a very very common occurrence. 

 

At Least 60% to 70% of pregnant females suffer from low back pain during their childbearing times. Most incidences of back pain during pregnancy are benign in nature and can easily be treated with simple home remedies which we will discuss in this article. However if the back pain does not settle with usual home remedies , you may end up needing a professional consultation with the spine doctor or a spine surgeon.

 

Causes & Risk Factors : Low Back Pain in Pregnancy

 

As the female body is going through lot of changes Physically as well as emotionally these changes main predispose a patient too low back pain. we have enumerated some of those causes and risk factors of back pain under

 

1. Changes in Weight : Female body gains 10 to 16 kilograms of weight during pregnancy .Due to this increased weight the centre of mass of the female body shifts forward. All this weight has to be supported by the lower back of the female body which leads to additional stress on the ligaments and bones of the lower spine rendering it susceptible to injury and frequent back pain. Also it is to be noted that mothers who had heavy physique before the pregnancy are at higher risk of low back pain during pregnancy.

2. Changes in Posture : The female body undergoes a significant structural change during the pregnant times. as the abdomen of the mother increases in size the lower spine has to compensate for the increased abdominal girth. This leads to Hyper arching or increased lordosis of the lumbar spine which leads to strain on the small ligaments and joints of the spine rendering it susceptible to injury and pain especially when sitting for long hours.  

3. Hormonal Changes : During the pregnancy a lot of changes happen at hormonal level within the Mother’s body. The majority of changes happen in order to sustain the pregnancy and prepare the body for delivery of the baby. This involves changing a lot of biomechanics in the human body. One major hormone which is released from Corpus luteum and also from Placenta is relaxing. As the name suggests, this hormone relaxes the various ligaments and muscles in order to prepare the body for delivery. However because of the very nature of this hormone , It relaxes the whole ligaments of the body and also the ligaments which are in the lower lumbar spine. the strained ligaments will have extra relaxation and are liable to frequent stresses and pain.

 

Symptoms & Signs : Low Back Pain in Pregnancy

 

So when does back pain start in pregnancy? Various signs and symptoms in which the patient of low back pain may present. These signs and symptoms serve the key to the diagnosis by the penis come and also give the clinician a clue how to treat or tackle that pain.

 

• Persistent low back pain ie lumbar pain in pregnancy.

• Low back pain with radiation in one or both of the legs.

• Upper middle back pain which radiates to the abdomen.

• Tingling numbness or pin pricking feeling in the legs.

• In advanced cases patients may complain of bladder bowel involvement.

• Back pain in pregnancy while sleeping.

• Upper back pain in pregnancy.

• Lower back pain in pregnancy.

• Posterior Pelvic Pain in pregnancy or Pregnancy pelvic pain

 

Low Back Pain During Pregnancy

 

Prevention Method & Precautions for Low Back Pain during Pregnancy

 

As already stated above low back pain frequently happens in pregnant women. Many of the researchers suggest that as much as 66% women going through pregnancy would suffer lower back pain during their pregnant times. However a general do’s and don’ts during pregnancy can be recommended which may serve as a pregnancy back pain relief strategy & also help in preventing you from suffering an episode of low back pain during your bumpier times.

 

1. Exercise and Yoga : healthy dose of exercises & yoga asanas can be practiced during pregnancy under strict supervision of a trainer who specialises in physical exercises for pregnant women.

2. Avoid Sitting for Long : Sitting on a chair is not a comfortable posture for the spine. So avoiding sitting for long hours during pregnancy is a good idea and should be avoided in order to prevent somebody from episodes of low back pain.

3. Cold Packs : If you have low back pain which is of recent origin cold packs get me tried . These generally give good relief. (if you do not have a cold pack at home at towel with rolled up ice inside does the same job)

4. Avoid Lifting Heavy Weight : Because of many hormonal changes your body is already vulnerable to injury during pregnancy , it is a good idea to not lift any object which is heavy especially by bending forward and always call for help.

5. Firm Mattress & Back Support Chair : One should always sleep on a mattress which is not too soft as it leads to back pain. Here we also want to make it clear that a very hard mattress will not allow you to sleep and may in turn lead to back pain again so the idea is to have a mattress which is not too soft and not too hard & which is firm in nature. Also if you have to sit on a chair, it is always good to sit on a chair which has a good lower back support (lumbar support).

 

Back pain in Pregnancy third trimester is very common and should be promptly seen by your gynecologist and if required by your spine surgeon.

 

Treatment for Low Back Pain during Pregnancy

 

Though a very common occurrence, low back pain in pregnancy first trimester i.e. back pain during early pregnancy should not be taken lightly, and the prompt meeting with your gynecologist should be arranged. It should be noted that in most of the cases the treatment and management of low back pain during pregnancy would involve very simple things Like rest, change of lifestyle, Physiotherapy hot packs and cold packs etc. Under the guidance of your gynecologist or spine surgeon a short course of Paracetamol may also be given. However if all these measures fail it is advisable for you to meet a spine specialist or a spine surgeon for further evaluation in detail so that the problem can be tackled that is to say that back pain in pregnancy treatment should never be delayed.

 

Conclusion

 

Back pain in pregnancy is not a problem of today; it has been happening ever since. However it can be comfortably said that the number of incidences of low back pain in pregnancy have increased significantly in the last couple of decades as there are more and more working women who work with least amount of physical activity in their regular life. Most of the jobs today involve sitting on a chair and working on a computer screen which makes Spine already vulnerable for spinal diseases and pregnancy leads to added stress on the lower back. Whether you are suffering from left side back pain during pregnancy or right side back pain during pregnancy, it should never be taken lightly and you should always consult your doctor .