C section related back pain can definitely complicate your recovery because you’ve already got weak core and pelvic floor muscles after pregnancy and child birth. On top of that, pain in the back can actually make your muscles even weaker and not support you when you’re trying to look after the new life that you’ve brought into this world. There’s certainly a massive gap in the information that’s provided in the public sector as compared to the private one. In fact, a lot of women may not even know what exercises are important in the immediate phase after a c section. There’s just not enough knowlege shared about when to actually get back into exercising afte a c section and what exactly to do! This is exactly where physiotherapy comes in. And mind you I’m not talking about the 1 or 2 sessions you get at the hospital after the birth. It takes a lot more than just 1 or 2 sessions to get back on your journey of recovery. So here’s how we can help!
Do hands on therapy to improve joint mobility and release muscle tension after a c section
Your pelvic and lower back area can feel quite unstable after a c section and child birth itself especially if you’ve undergone an emergency procedure. This in turn can cause inflammation around the joints of the lower back and cause the muscles around the spine to tighten up. You still have to look after your baby and do things so this is just the body’s way of dealing with the added stress. An experienced physiotherapist like myself ( Know more about me here) will be able know where exactly the problem lies and treat. I have nearly 20 years of experience treating women with back pain. But sometimes it’s your own experience as a mother and what you’ve gone through that helps in helping other women suffering from the same issues. I help by doing hands on therapy like joint mobilisations to improve joint movement and trigger point therapy to release the muscles. This helps in preventing the tightness in ‘settling into’ the joints to cause pain. Once the pain is under control, we move forward to the strengthening phase.
Strengthen your core and pelvic floor muscles to protect your back after a c section
Whether you’ve had an emergency c section or a planned one, your tummy and pelvic floor muscles have still undergone stress due to pregnancy itself. These muscles have been stretched to their limit which definitely causes weakness. In some women this can show up as back pain, in others it can take the form of pelvic floor dysfunction. So it’s very crucial to start strengthening these muscles immediately. Although unless a health professional is experienced or has done further studies to hone their skills, they may not be fully aware of the what exact exercises to do or avoid. An experienced physiotherapist is certainly equipped to handle this. I personally love reformer pilates as a way of core and pelvic strengthening after a c section. It’s a great way to do full body training without impacting your joints.
Advise you on specific do’s and dont’s for maximum recovery after c section
Do you know exactly when to get back to weight training after a c section? (well, if you read one of my other articles, you probably already know). Or what kind of exercises to avoid if you’ve had abdominal separation? These are exactly the kind of questions I answer for you. Like I said before, there’s just not enough info for new mothers. Or topics like post partum weight loss. These cross fit gyms promote high intensity exercises for quick weight loss but don’t specify that it’s not wise to do that in the post partum phase. The uterus itself takes 6 weeks to return back to it’s original size after pregnancy! So a lot of advice is about how to look after your back and pelvic floor while looking after your baby. A physiotherapist will certainly be able to guide you about how to carry your child, how to space your activities, what position to breast feed in etc. So if you or anyone you know needs help from a Physiotherapist after a c section, click on the button below and get in touch with me now.