5 surefire ways to deal with back pain during pregnancy plus how to prevent it

Back pain during pregnancy is one of the most common complaints. Feeling low back pain certainly makes activities uncomfortable. So, what are the causes and how to deal with back pain or pain during pregnancy? This is the explanation.

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What are the signs and symptoms of back pain during pregnancy?

The following are common signs and symptoms of back pain during pregnancy, namely:

• Constant or intermittent pain on one side of the buttocks or legs.
• Sharp pain and a burning sensation in the waist.
• Pain from the buttocks to the lower back of the thigh and radiating to the legs.
• Stiff until you feel cramps up to the legs.
• Feeling numb or tingling, or feeling weak in the legs.
• Difficulty walking, standing, or sitting.

Back pain can feel achy and dull at first and then feel stabbing and sharp like cramps.

Pain may also come and go in a gradual manner. Gradually, the pain can make it difficult for you to move around and stand up straight.

Tell your doctor right away if you feel any unusual symptoms of low back pain.

These unusual signs include bleeding, fever, and severe cramping of the abdomen and lower back.

These symptoms can also be signs and features of other conditions, such as:

• Miscarriage during pregnancy.
• Babies are born prematurely.
• Urinary tract infection during pregnancy.

What causes back pain during pregnancy?

Many women experience back pain during pregnancy as the baby grows in the stomach.

What's more, the stomach gets bigger and the spine gets tense due to the extra weight.

Quoted from the American Pregnancy Association, in fact about 50-80% of women experience back pain during pregnancy which results in discomfort.

The things that trigger it vary and can be different for each expectant mother.

However, most cases of low back pain during pregnancy are related to body changes and hormonal fluctuations during the 9 months of pregnancy.

The following are various causes of back pain in pregnant women, both during young and late pregnancy:

1. Weight gain

Throughout the period of pregnancy, a woman's body weight can gain about 11-15 kilograms from before pregnancy.

This weight gain can put more pressure on the spine which can lead to back pain.

2. Hormonal changes

During pregnancy, women will release more hormone relaxin.

This hormone causes the ligaments and structures that attach the bones to the joints in the pelvis to stretch.

This stretch makes muscle tissue unable to support weight and posture the same as before pregnancy.

As a result, pregnant women can experience back pain more often.

3. Changes in body posture

Pregnancy can make changes to posture as well as the way you move.

This can add to the tension that makes the waist ache during pregnancy.

Low back pain during early pregnancy can get worse if you have the wrong posture, for example when standing or sitting.

Too long sitting or standing for a long time is also prone to make back pain recur.

So make sure you get in the habit of moving around a lot and changing positions throughout the day.

4. Stress

Hormonal changes during pregnancy can also result in emotional swings that lead to stress.

This also increases muscle tension, causing back pain or pain during early pregnancy.

5. Pinched nerve

One of the causes of back pain during pregnancy, both young and old, is a pinched pelvic nerve (lower back). This condition is called sciatica (pinched nerve) pain.

Generally, this pain is caused by a disc (disc) of the joint protruding into the spine and pressing on a nerve.

A pinched nerve is common in pregnant women because the increasing weight of the womb puts excessive pressure on the pelvic joints.

Sometimes, changing the position of the baby can also put pressure on the pelvic nerves, causing low back pain during pregnancy.

How to relieve back pain during pregnancy

Handling back pain during pregnancy can include massage, therapy chiropractic, and physiotherapy.

Apart from that, you can also try the following methods to reduce back pain or pain during pregnancy, such as:

1. Doing light exercise

If you sit or sleep too much, it can strain your muscles, which can cause your waist or back to hurt even more.

Well, try to do routine stretches yourself at home. Some sufferers feel better after doing various sports for pregnant women.

Exercising or stretching can help stretch the muscles of the legs, buttocks and hips so that the pressure on the lumbar nerves is reduced.

Apart from simple stretching, low back pain in pregnant women can also be overcome by increasing physical activity.

Try to do safe activities such as pregnancy exercise, walking, yoga, and swimming during pregnancy.

It should be noted that when swimming, the water around the body helps support the weight of the baby in the womb.

2. Improve posture

Bending too much can stretch the spine. Try to practice good posture to deal with back pain during pregnancy,

For example, while sleeping on your side add a pillow between your knees. Then, when sitting try to add a prop behind the waist or back.

Wearing a support belt while on the move can also help with low back pain in pregnant women.

3. Compressing the waist

You can try other ways to relieve back pain during pregnancy, such as compressing using a warm or cold towel.

Put the compress on the waist and back for 20 minutes. Try to get it right at your waist.

You can also compress the sore waist with heating pad in the area that is experiencing pain only, for example in the waist, hips, or back.

Avoid excessively high heat and don't use it right on your stomach.

In addition to relieving pain, compressing the body with a warm compress is useful for:

• Improve blood circulation.
• Deliver the supply of oxygen and nutrients in the blood.
• Smooth muscle stiff work.
• Relieves muscle pain.

4. Alternative therapy

Research in the journal Pregnancy Related Low Back Pain shows that acupuncture and chiropractic can relieve back pain during pregnancy.

However, if you choose to do this treatment, consult your doctor first and make sure the therapist knows the condition of your pregnancy.

5. Take medicine

If back pain during pregnancy does not subside, consult your doctor to find out how to properly deal with it.

It is best not to take any pain relievers before seeing your doctor.

Usually, paracetamol is a pain reliever that is safe for most pregnant women.

If pain relievers aren't recommended, you can also try other medications, such as safe muscle relaxants.

In essence, the drugs you take while pregnant must be on the recommendation of a doctor.

Apart from the above, you can also treat low back pain during pregnancy in the following ways:

• When going to lift heavy objects, avoid doing it suddenly. That is, start by squatting, then get up slowly.
• Avoid lifting items that are too heavy.
• Use shoes that are comfortable and able to support your body.
• Perform special massage for pregnant women to relax muscles that feel tense and relieve stress.

How to prevent back pain during pregnancy

There are times when back pain during early pregnancy cannot be avoided because it is a common thing.

However, there are a number of things you can do as a precaution, such as:

• Perform safe exercises to strengthen the lower waist.
• Maintain weight in the right way.
• Do doctor-approved exercise.
• Avoid standing for too long.
• Avoid lifting heavy items.

Try to be more sensitive to your body and stop activities that make low back pain during pregnancy.

Always consult your doctor before doing any sport.

If low back pain during pregnancy is accompanied by dizziness, headache, or bleeding, do not continue exercising and contact your doctor immediately.