Back pain in pregnancy is common, but it should not be brushed off as something you need to live with until after the delivery. If back pain is impacting your quality of life, and your ability to walk and remain active, it is ideally not some thing you should live with!
What causes back and pelvic pain in pregnancy?
The obvious answers are because of your growing belly and of ligament laxity, or ‘looseness.’
A little more detail helps you make better sense of your body’s changes and pain.
Ligament laxity changes collagen
Back, neck, and body pains can start as early as 6-10 weeks. Oestrogen and progesterone increase from the start of the pregnancy. Relaxin surges from 6-10 weeks and peaks around 8-12 weeks. These hormones all work to change collagen expression, making it less dense and more elastic from the start of the pregnancy.
‘Looser’ ligament support to joints places more demand on the muscle system to provide stability. (Ligaments provide stability at the ends of joint movement. All movement in between must be controlled by coordinated muscle activity).
The pelvis is an area where we rely heavily on ligaments for joint stability. If our posture is passive, we resort to ‘hanging’ from the ligaments. This constant strain causes sensitisation and pain.
Pain from ligaments or joints can inhibit surrounding muscles, preventing these from providing the necessary active joint stability. This cycle often continues unless interrupted.
Baby belly and bigger breasts
The weight of the pregnancy belly and bigger breasts needs to be countered by your back muscles and changes in your spine curves, pelvis position, and posture in movement.
Your body may adapt to these changes easily, or pain may result from factors such as muscle weakness, muscle spasm, restricted joint mobility, or poor control of the ways of moving.
Why addressing your pain is important
Pain can make it very hard, at times impossible, to do even the simplest exercise. The recommendation for activity to support a healthy pregnancy and better recovery is 150 min per week of moderate exercise, but the truth is that every little bit counts. Small amounts of walking and simple mat exercises done regularly can make a big difference to your body’s ability to adapt to the changes, give better support to your joints, and optimise your pregnancy health.
How physiotherapy can help pregnancy back pain
Physiotherapy treatment uses gentle and safe techniques to correct pelvic alignment, release joint restrictions, and ease muscle spasm. Less pain enables the muscle system to function better and provide better joint stability.
Simple corrective exercises can help you manage your pain more effectively, enabling you to remain more comfortable and active.
External support, such as a sacroiliac belt, can help to relieve sacroiliac joint pain or pubic symphysis pain. Strapping can support your tummy, back and pelvis. Alongside these, simple corrective exercises help your body adapt and cope.
Because every pregnant body is unique and finds its own way of moving through pregnancy, an individual treatment and management approach is crucial.
