Back Pain During Pregnancy

Glowing skin, shiny hair, not a single stretch mark… does your pregnancy feel like you’re living a dream? Or are you swollen, waddling, sleep-deprived, and in pain? Your body changes dramatically during a pregnancy. Some of these changes are more exciting and enjoyable than others, that’s for sure!

At Daniels Chiropractic in Racine, Caledonia, and Mt Pleasant, we treat women who are in pain because of their pregnancy.
What do they say when they come in?

For starters, over 50% of pregnant women report that low back pain is their biggest complaint during pregnancy. And, the pain can last for over 3 months of the pregnancy. At the same time, ¾ of all pregnant women report they have back pain at some point during the pregnancy. 

Some women report the pain starting as early as 8 to 12 weeks. Most say it happens between the fifth and seventh month. Another source of tremendous discomfort is something called pelvic girdle pain. Twenty percent of women may experience this condition during their pregnancy.

This is a whole lot of pain for what is to be a most exciting phase in a woman’s life. 

Why Do Pregnant Women Have Back Pain?

As your fetus grows, your center of gravity changes to accommodate the growth of the baby in front. And as your weight increases there is also an increase in pressure on your low back, pelvis, knees, ankles, and feet. The mid-back and low-back spine curvature changes during pregnancy and this contributes to the pain in your lower back and pelvic region.

These body changes put stress and strain on the joints in the low back and pelvis. There is muscle tightness, tenderness, and discomfort, if not outright pain. All of this change - in the center of gravity, in spinal curvature, and pelvic adjustments - also means that pregnant women sometimes feel off-balance and even walk differently than they normally do. This is why some women will begin to “waddle” later in the pregnancy! 

What Kind of Pain Does a Pregnant Woman Feel?

Some pregnant women describe their pain as a deep discomfort and some say it is stabbing, continuous, recurrent, and intense. In other words, descriptions vary. Each day can vary in intensity, too. Basic tasks can feel difficult to do some days.

You likely feel the pain in front of the pubic bone or in the low back. It may also be between the hip bones and bottom of your buttock region. For some women the pain will travel down the back of the thigh, knee, calf and to the foot.

The Consequences

First of all, it becomes really difficult to enjoy your pregnancy when you are in regular or continuous pain. And shouldn’t this be a beautiful time of enjoyment? A life is growing inside of you. Low back and pelvic pain can also make taking care of your family and continuing to work really challenging. Sitting, traveling in a car, and even walking can feel unbearable at times. Pain like this can lead us to avoid social situations and activities that strengthen our physical, psychological, and emotional health. 

Thankfully, for most women the pain dramatically lessens after the birth of their child. 

Some women, however, will continue to experience a level of low back and pelvic pain during the year (or two or three) after delivery. They may have a mechanical spinal disorder that can impede recovery. Of course, this will also bring challenges to nursing or caring for their baby as well as work inside and outside the home.

Can Chiropractic Care Help With Pregnancy Pain?

At Daniels Chiropractic we understand the biomechanical changes that happen in a woman’s body during pregnancy and work with women to alleviate the pain that is caused by them. When you come in for help we will take time to listen to your story. We want to understand how and where you feel pain. 

Our chiropractors will do an exam to assess the following:

•     Changes in pelvic positioning
•     Curvature changes in the upper and lower back
•     Stress on the lower back including muscle tension and tightness in the lumbosacral area
•     Radiating (shooting) pain that can travel from the low back into the legs or lower extremities

If we assess that spinal manipulation is a proper treatment we will work to find the most comfortable method for you. You may also benefit from soft tissue therapy, ergonomic advice, and gentle exercises you can do at home. 

 We also identify areas of stiffness that may accumulate in weak areas of the body. These weak areas contribute to back pain during pregnancy but can be helped by release through an adjustment and targeted strengthening through appropriate exercises.

Part of our mission is to educate you, the client, on postures or positions during daily activities that can trigger or escalate back and pelvic pain. Poor posture, bending over in the wrong way, and excessive standing are things we will address and offer you ways of correcting during this phase.

Come See Us

If you are pregnant and in pain, there is help available. Your pregnancy can be more productive, comfortable, and enjoyable. At Daniels Chiropractic we will work with your OB/GYN to make sure that your options for treatment are safe and effective. 

We are committed to helping you feel, move, and live better. We want to help you get better. So, give us a call at 262.638.9999 to make an appointment.

Daniels Chiropractic Office

2609 Rapids Drive
Racine, WI 53404
Phone: 262.638.9999
Fax: 262.638.0742 

Sources:

• Bernard, M., and Tuchin, P. (2016). Chiropractic management of pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain: a case study. J Chiropr Med. 2016 Jun; 15(2): 129–133. 
• https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/pregnancy-and-back-pain/management-back-pain-pregnancy 
• Katonis, P., et al. (2011). Pregnancy-related low back pain. Hippokratia. Jul-Sep; 15(3): 205–210. 
• Maiers, M., et al. (2018). Chiropractic in Global Health and wellbeing: a white paper describing the public health agenda of the World Federation of Chiropractic. Chiropr Man Therap. 2018; 26: 26. 
• Montgomery, S.P. “Management of back pain during pregnancy.” (2009). Retrieved March 2020 from: Verstraete, V.H., Vanderstraeten, G., and Parewijck, W. (2013). Pelvic Girdle Pain during or after pregnancy: a review of recent evidence and a clinical care path proposal. Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2013; 5(1): 33–43. 
• Sabino, J., and Grauer, J.N. (2008). Pregnancy and low back pain. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2008 Jun; 1(2): 137–141. 
• “Back pain during pregnancy: causes, treatment and prevention.” American Pregnancy Association. Retrieved March 2020 from: https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/back-pain-during-pregnancy 
• Yoo, H., Shin, D., and Song, M. (2015). Changes in the spinal curvature, degree of pain, balance ability, and gait ability according to pregnancy period in pregnant and nonpregnant women. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Jan; 27(1): 279–284.