If you have been experiencing back pain throughout your pregnancy, it is not uncommon for some to ask what causes it. Pregnancy is a challenging time for women, but one that must be endured. Expecting a baby is one of the most anticipated events in a woman’s life, but can also be one of the most tiring processes.
Your body changes dramatically as you are pregnant, and there are many things that go on inside your body. Many of these changes are completely normal and beneficial, but some are simply stressful and will lead to pain during pregnancy.
In case you’re reading this article for yourself or for a loved one, this can be a good guide for you as to understand what causes this back pain and what the most common treatments for this condition are.
Causes
1) Weight gain
The most common culprit is usually excessive strain on your back brought on by weight gain and by fluctuating posture because of your expanding abdomen. Overweight women may notice that their back pain symptoms diminish after giving birth, yet when they gain back their previous size, they begin to experience back pain symptoms again.
2) Tissue expansion
In addition, some women may experience back pain during their pregnancy, even if they are relatively healthy and exercise regularly. This may be caused by extra tissue in the pelvic region that has not been shed after delivery, as well as by the increased size of the uterus, which require additional pressure to maintain its position.
3) Stress
You may experience back pain during pregnancy for a number of reasons. One such reason is due to stress. When a woman is stressed, her body tends to alter its posture to compensate for the increased stress levels. Sometimes this causes strain on the pelvic area.
4) Hormonal increment
In addition to the increased pressure, other hormones such as cortisol also increase. The increased stress causes blood vessels to constrict in the pelvic area, resulting in a tightening of the skin around the pelvic area and in the lower area of the back and it is for this reason that physical exercises for pregnant women are advised as to circulate the blood normally.
Treatments
1) Regular exercise
To relieve some of the tension in the pelvic area, it helps to take long walks, which will help to relax your muscles and help your joints to relax. However, doing too much of this will cause unnecessary strain on your joints and ligaments.
It may be advisable to talk to your doctor about the possibility of taking regular exercise. If you already have a good posture, then you can take advantage of this to further relax your body and avoid any pain.
2) Massage therapy
It may also help to consider massage therapy. This can be helpful for relieving mild to moderate pregnancy-related pain in the lower spine. Massage therapy can be done on your hands, forearms or feet, and the lower area of your back depending on the severity of the condition. By applying gentle pressure on these various parts of the body, massage therapy is effective in reducing discomfort.
3) Change your posture
Some pregnant women experience problems with their sitting and standing posture. It can be beneficial to adopt a better sitting and walking posture. This can help to eliminate the development of back pain in the lower back area. It can be helpful to get into a seated and walking position for at least 30 minutes at a time.
You can also practice good posture when watching television, reading a book, reading a computer screen or when sitting at a desk.
4) Heating pads
In fact, heating pads are one of the oldest tricks in the books when it comes in to back pain that is associated with pregnancy. Applying a heating pad to the lower area of you back is very common and helpful since it helps you in warming the area and circulating the blood in your vessels and helps your muscle relax.
5) Hot beverages
Many pregnant women opt for hot natural beverages such as ginger tea or green tea. These drinks are not only rich in antioxidants which are all in all beneficial for you and for the fetus but they are also great in helping you relax the muscle tension and provide relief for you. Drinking a cup or two a day, especially at night time has been proven quite helpful in redcuing back related pains.
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