Picture of a pregnant woman writing on a white board

Pregnancy related lower back pain is one of the most common symptoms especially during the second and third trimester. Although it is one of the many changes that your body will go through during pregnancy,it is important to understand that back pain relief is at hand. You don’t just have to grin and bear!

Causes of lower back pain pregnancy related

As the pregnancy progresses, a woman’s body produces a hormone called Relaxin in preparation for birth. It is this hormone that makes the ligaments and joints more pliable to help with child birth. Unfortunately one of the side effects of the increased flexibility is increased pressure on the joints of the lower back. In addition to this, the lower back already has to support the weight of the growing baby. This puts tremendous pressure on the joints, muscles and discs of the lower back causing pain. In the later stages of pregnancy, the growing baby can also put pressure on the sciatic nerve causing pain down the leg. Furthermore, the muscles of the pelvic floor become stretched to their capacity. This creates weakness in the muscles and they are unable to support the pelvic area.

Lower back pain relief in pregnancy

Picture of a pregnant woman with a back brace

Physiotherapy is the main form of treatment for relief from back pain during pregnancy. Our Physios will diagnose the problem to assess if it’s joint related or is it because of the pressure on the nerve. They will then do hands on techniques to relieve the pressure on the joints and muscles of the lower back. Our physiotherapist will also show you exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These are the muscles that get stretched during child birth. The core muscles of the lower back also protect it against the strains of pregnancy. Strengthening these very core muscles will help a woman not just during child birth but also in the recovery phase.

Your Physiotherapist may also advise you to wear a back support. This helps to protect the back as your baby grows and puts more strain.

According to Australian Physiotherapy association, Physios not only help you during pregnancy but also in the recovery phase.