Dealing With Early Pregnancy Back Pain
Posted on Aug 15, 2012 | Blog Posts, Pregnancy Symptoms Category | | Print This Article
Most people associate back pain with the later stages of pregnancy, when the baby bump has grown to epic proportions and junior is ready to make his grand entrance. For many women, though, back pain is actually one of the first noticeable symptoms of their pregnancies.
Maybe the reason we don’t associate these back aches with pregnancy right away is that backaches are fairly common-even when we’re not pregnant. Still, persistent soreness in the lower back, especially if you don’t normally have backaches, is a good indicator that you might be pregnant.
The reason for these backaches in the early stages of pregnancy is that one of your body’s reactions to your new addition is to loosen the ligaments in your lower back. This is normal and natural. In fact, it’s necessary to accommodate for the change that’s coming to your center of gravity.
The fact that it’s normal doesn’t make it feel any better, though, does it? To make matters worse, the options for treating a sore back during pregnancy are more limited. You’re very limited regarding which types of pain killers you can use (and how much), making relief harder to come by. Fortunately, there are still some remedies.
- Back rubs. Hey, he’s the one that gave you this little back ache. It’s only fair that he does his part to help make it feel better.
- Ice packs. Ice won’t hurt you or the baby, and generally brings relief for sore backs fairly quickly.
- Heating packs. As with ice packs, these can bring fast relief. Use whichever one works better for you.
- Chiropractic. A recent study shows that 75% of pregnant women who experienced back pain received significant relief from a visit to the chiropractor. Chiropractic care is safe for you and the baby. Of course, you’ll want to inform the chiropractor that you are pregnant.
- Exercise. Light stretching can help relieve back pain. Ask your doctor or physical therapist about specific exercises you can do to reduce back pain.
In addition to these, it’s important to make sure you get plenty of rest through all stages of your pregnancy. Many find that sleeping on their side helps relieve back pain. Others (especially in later stages of pregnancy) find that supporting their knees with a pillow is helpful.
Most women experience back pain at some point during their pregnancy. Many have backaches even before they experience other symptoms like morning sickness and tender breasts. Unless your backaches are severe, they are not a cause for concern.
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