Back Pain After Pregnancy

A common problem after childbirth is back pain. There are several reasons for this, but we will look at 4 reasons and 4 actions you can take.

1.Weak core or abdominal muscles. Particularly during the last trimester of your pregnancy, it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do most exercises. It’s impossible for most pregnant women to do abdominal exercises. I don’t imagine that you did any sit-ups! Your abdominal muscles, more than likely,weakened during pregnancy. The torso is carried at the back by the lower back muscles and in the front by the core muscles or abdominals. If these muscles are weak, poor posture will result, along with strained lower back muscles.

2.Tight muscles in the legs, chest and shoulders. Because of your restricted movements while you carried your baby, your muscles have not been stretched. If you have lower back pain, your hamstrings and gluteals could be tight. muscles. When the hamstring muscles and gluteal muscles are tight, they can cause rounding of the lower back, with associated back pain. This is because the hamstrings are attached to the pelvis and pull on the pelvis when tight. Stiff shoulder muscles will likely cause neck and upper back pain. Tight chest muscles pull on the shoulder and will also likely cause neck and shoulder pain.

3.Bad posture. You have a baby that you have to feed and soothe constantly. This means you need to pick up and put down your baby often. If you’re not careful about your posture, you could be straining your back. Even though your baby is a fairly light weight (at least in the beginning!) the repeated action of bending your back, day after day, with poor posture,will strain your back.

4.Being overweight. Being overweight puts an undue strain on the back. Overweight people are also usually less flexible, with a smaller range of motion, so that sudden movements are more likely to cause strains and pain. Many women pick up weight during pregnancy, which makes back pain worse.

Taking action 1. Strengthen your abdominal or core muscles every day for 5-10 minutes. Don’t do sit-ups because sit-ups will strain your back when your muscles have weakened. Rather do abdominal crunches. Perform 10 repetitions to start with. Each week, try to increase the number of repetitions. Also do a stability exercise, such as the plank. Time yourself. Start with 15 seconds and try to improve the time you spend in the position each week.

2. Stretch your connected muscles. Do 3-5 minutes a day of stretching. The key stretches you need to do are: 1) hamstrings, as these connect to your pelvis and affect the lower back 2) chest muscles, as the chest muscles attach to the shoulder blade and pull the shoulders forward, causing upper back pain if tight 3) shoulders, as neck and shoulder pain is common where these muscles are tight. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds to start with. Aim to increase this each week.

3.Keep good posture. Be aware of your posture when you pick your baby up or put your baby down. Don’t round your back. Bend your legs when you bend to pick up baby;your legs must do the work, not your back muscles. Bend forward at your hips, and keep your back straight.

4.Walk. Put your baby in the stroller/pram and walk. Walking is a good exercise for tight gluteal and hamstring muscles. It’s also a gentle way to exercise and lose weight.

Build your Back,Beat the Pain is a step-by-step plan that anyone can follow. It takes just 15 minutes a day and is designed to stretch and strengthen all the muscles needed to help beat back pain