Having a baby bump is full of fun and exciting moments. You’ll see your stomach grow as your baby gets bigger, and you’ll experience moments like hearing their heartbeat and feeling them move for the first time. Yet, there are times when pregnancy might be a pain in the back – literally. Some expecting mom’s start experiencing back pain when they reach their second half of pregnancy. Pregnancy can cause back pain in a number of ways, but fortunately, there are ways to get some relief.
Why does my back hurt?
If you’re having back pain, there are a number of reasons associated with pregnancy that could make it bothersome. Here are some of the potential causes:
- More weight. The responsibility of the spine is to give your body structure and support. Weight gain during pregnancy from both mom and the baby can put strain on the spine and put pressure on blood vessels and nerves in the pelvis and back.
- Bad posture. Weight from your growing baby can cause bad posture. All that extra weight in front pulls your balance forward. To counteract the shift in balance, you’ll be tempted to lean back which exerts the back muscles.
- Hormones. To help prepare itself for the big day, the body produces a hormone called relaxin. Relaxin loosens joints and ligaments in the pelvis to make for an easier delivery. It also relaxes the ligaments around your spine resulting in less back support.
- Stress. Not only does stress cause emotional tension, but it creates physical tension as well. When the body is stressed, it releases adrenaline and cortisol, both which have an effect on muscle tension.
How to find relief from back pain
When back pain doesn’t want to seem to cooperate with your busy schedule, there are certain things you can do to help alleviate it or keep it from happening.
- Exercise. Exercise won’t help much once the pain starts, but it can help prevent it. Exercise makes your muscles stronger and makes you more flexible, which will decrease your chances of pulling or twisting something when you go to move. Check out some pregnancy safe exercises here.
- Sleep on your side. When you’re pregnant, the best sleep position is on your side (especially your left side) because keeps the abdomen off the intestines and blood vessels. For extra support, put pillows between your knees, under your stomach and behind your back.
- Use warmth and cold. Some moms-to-be find that the coldness from ice or a cool compress and/or low warmth from a heating pad, water bottle or bath helps to manage back pain. Heat improves blood circulation and mobility of stiff muscles (avoid using it for any longer than 10 minutes or your core temp can start to rise). Cold from an ice pack or water bottle can help with inflammation, swelling and numbing of sore muscles.
- Wear the right shoes. We think of shoes as an extension of our outfit, so it can be easy to forget when we see a cute pair that they should also be practical, especially when you’re pregnant. High heels will mess with balance and posture, and flats with no support will make back pain worse. Wear low heeled shoes or flatter shoes with good arch support.
- Practice good posture. We know that bad posture contributes to back pain so it’s important you’re periodically checking that you have good posture. Stand or sit up straight and with your shoulders back and relaxed. Use a slightly wider stance when standing and sit down if you’re on your feet for too long. When sitting, make sure your chair has good back support (slip a small pillow behind your lower back to help).
- Acupuncture. An alternative method to consider when handling pain during pregnancy is the use of acupuncture. Research shows that acupuncture can help reduce lower back pain and improve function.
When your back starts acting up, don’t let the pain keep you down. While you may find that some of these methods work better than others, you want to find something that works best for you so that you can stay comfortable for the duration of your pregnancy.
Disclaimer: PerkinElmer and ViaCord do not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medications or treatment. All information is provided for informational purposes only.
Resources:
WebMD. Back Pain in Pregnancy. https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/back-pain-in-pregnancy#1
UTSouthwestern Medical Center. Easy tips to relieve stress-related neck and back pain. https://utswmed.org/medblog/stress-back-pain/
American Pregnancy Association. Best Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/sleeping-positions-while-pregnant-1012#:~:text=Sleeping%20on%20your%20left%20side,the%20stress%20on%20your%20back.
Mayo Clinic. Back pain during pregnancy: 7 tips for relief. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy/art-20046080
Medical News Today. Can you use a heating pad while pregnant? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322216
Medical News Today. Benefits of heating pads. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322216#benefits-of-heating-pads
WebMD. Acupuncture Helps Relieve Pregnancy's Low Back Pain. https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20000706/acupuncture-pregnancy-lower-back-pain#1
Spine Health. Ice Massage for Back Pain Relief. https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/heat-therapy-cold-therapy/ice-massage-back-pain-relief#:~:text=Ice%20numbs%20sore%20tissues%20(providing,Icing%20decreases%20tissue%20damage
