One of the very first signs of pregnancy can be the presence of pain in your low back. It can seem almost debilitating, and can greatly affect your ability work, sleep, and enjoy your normal activities.
However, you do not have to suffer with this pain for nine months-there are many things that you can do to help relieve this pain and discomfort, to help you get back to your normal energy level, and schedule. The first thing you need to do is to is to figure out exactly where the pain is coming from.
You can probably blame your ever expanding uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your uterus shifts your center of gravity, and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles.
This will greatly affect your posture, and put strain on your spine and structures. In addition, as you gain more weight in your belly, you may end up feeling more stress on your muscles, and could even encounter a pinched nerve.
Hormonal changes will loosen your joints, and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable, and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or even lift things.
In most cases, the pain appears in the later months, or becomes worse as your pregnancy progresses. It can last even for months after you give birth, as your body continues to change, and your hormones continue to shift.
There are two common kinds of pain that you may experience. Lumbar pain occurs in the area of the lumbar vertebrae in your lower back, and posterior pelvic pain occurs in the back of your pelvis.
If you are lucky, you may even have both! Lumbar pain is like what you may have felt before you were pregnant-many people experience this from lifting something the wrong way, a car accident, or some other kind of trauma.
You feel it over and around your spine, right around your waist. It may also radiate down into your legs.
If you have a job that requires you to sit or stand for long periods of time, you may feel that your discomfort intensifies. The other type of discomfort mentioned is posterior pelvic pain, which is felt lower on your body than lumbar issues.
You may feel it deep inside the buttocks, on one or both sides or the back of your thighs. This may be due to climbing stairs, walking, twisting, or lifting something.
When it comes to what you can do about it, the first thing that you need to do is to exercise. While this may feel like the last thing that you want to do, it will end up giving you lots of relief.
Make sure that you talk to a doctor before you begin any exercise program, because they will know what is safe for you, and what risks you may have. In general, you should try something that is low impact, such as riding a stationary bike, or fast walking around your neighborhood.
This will help to strengthen the muscles in your back, and relieve any pinches. The stronger your core becomes, the less likely you are to have discomfort around your spine.
You should also stretch as much as you can. The more flexible you are, the better you will feel.
Try doing some yoga, particularly one that is made for women who are expecting. This will take you through a series of gentle poses, relaxation, and deep breathing.
As you get larger, you may want to consider swimming, as the buoyancy will relieve a lot of weight pain and pressure you are feeling. Consider signing up for a prenatal water exercise class, if one is available in your community.
These can be very relaxing, and there is research suggesting that water exercise may decrease your discomfort. If you have lumbar pain, try doing pelvic tilts, which can help stretch your muscles, strengthening them as well.
Get on your hands and knees, arms shoulder-width apart and knees hip-width apart. Keep your arms straight, thought be careful not to lock your elbows.
Tuck your buttocks under, and round your back as you breathe in. Relax your back into a neutral position as you breathe out.
The more you do exercises like this, the better you will feel. Try doing this consistently, and after about two weeks you may find that you are feeling great.
Author Resource:-
Jack Landry is a personal trainer and has authored hundreds of articles relating to physical training and exercise equipment. He has been a health expert and physical trainer for over 15 years.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 