Back pain during pregnancy

Research suggests that up to 70 per cent of pregnant women experience lower back pain at some point during their pregnancy.(1)

This can become a burden for an expectant mother when it begins to negatively impact her work, sleep, social life and hobbies.

If that’s you, here are six things you can do to help ease the pain as well as protect your lower back during pregnancy. 

Tell your physiotherapist

The best thing you can do for yourself is to seek help. Do not try to soldier on through your pain. Pregnancy does not mean you have to accept pain as an inevitable or untreatable condition!

According to an American study, 68 per cent of pregnant women do not tell their GP/physiotherapist/maternal health nurse that they are suffering from lower back pain.(2)  

Don’t stay still

Whether you are at work or at home, don’t stay in one position for too long as this will increase your risk of aggravating your pregnancy related lower back pain.(3)   

Good habits to adopt include:

• Stand up from your desk at work every half hour and do a circle of the office or go to the kitchen to get a drink

• Stand up from the couch during ad breaks and stay standing until the show resumes. If alternatively you are binge watching your favourite show online, take a break between each episode.

•If preparing dinner, alternate between chopping sitting down at the table, and standing up at the kitchen bench.

Be careful when lifting

This is good advice for everyone! Do not attempt to lift an item that appears to be too heavy for you to manage.

If you have to lift a heavy item for example a loaded shopping bag or a sleeping toddler, bend from the knees, push up through your feet, and avoid twisting your body or performing sudden explosive movements.  

Sit with good posture

If you are concerned your desk set-up at work is not ideal ask your employer or your OH&S representative for an ergonomic desk evaluation.

Using a lumbar support roll on your seat can assist in maintaining a healthy spine position when sitting. The University of Western Australia has compiled a website with valuable advice on how to appropriately set up your workstation.

Hop in the pool

Water based exercise has been found to be very helpful in managing pregnancy-related lower back pain.(4) If you are unable to join a formal class, walking laps in the shallow end of the pool will also be beneficial.

Exercise

Despite what you may have been told, you are still able to exercise during your pregnancy, you just need to follow a few guidelines. A full list of these recommendations can be found on the Nutrition Australia website or alternatively through the American College of Sports Medicine. The Australian Physiotherapy Association has also commissioned a document detailing advice on posture, exercise and lifting.

Key points to consider are:

•Exercise in a cool environment to avoid overheating

•Stay hydrated

•Avoid high intensity exercise because your heart is already under increased stress at rest when you are pregnant. Remember that your heart is now supporting both you and your developing baby.

•Avoid exercises that are performed when lying flat on your back

•Wear a supportive bra and supportive leggings/shorts. Your physiotherapist will be able to fit you for appropriate garments, such as the SRC pregnancy shorts which we endorse and which are approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. 
 

At Back In Motion we offer a free initial assessment to all new patients. During this appointment the physiotherapist will guide you through a series of movement tests, and will perform range of motion assessments that will help them to create a tailored treatment approach to manage your pregnancy-related lower back pain.   

 

References

1. Low back pain during pregnancy: prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes (Wang et al, 2004)

2. Low back pain during pregnancy: prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes (Wang et al, 2004)

3. Pelvic Girdle Pain and Low Back Pain in Pregnancy: A Review (Vermani, Mittal, and Weeks, 2010)

4. Water-gymnastics reduced the intensity of back/low back pain in pregnant women (Kihlstrand, B, Nilsson, & Axelsson, 1999)

Other references

Physical activity during pregnancy, Nutrition Australia

Look good. Feel good during pregnancy, Australian Physiotherapy Association