Ways To Relieve Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy
As your pregnancy progresses, your posture begins to change. Combined with overstretched abdominal muscles and looser ligaments more strain is placed on the muscles supporting your spine. Lower back pain during pregnancy is incredible common and the majority of pregnant women experience some level of lower back pain during their 40 weeks of pregnancy.
Ways to ease lower back pain during pregnancy
Engage in regular exercise to help strengthen the muscles that support your back. Choose a low impact exercise that doesn’t put additional strain on your back, such as swimming or prenatal yoga. If walking choose sensible, supportive footwear. Avoid walking or running on hard surfaces such as concrete.
When possible, avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time. Move around and change positions often to relieve pressure on your back.
Try sleeping / resting on your side and avoid lying on your back. Sleeping with a body or ‘pregnancy’ pillow can also bring relief.
Minimise heavy lifting, including carrying older children too often or for too long. Always avoid lifting anything with your body in a twisted stance.
Magnesium can help relieve back pain. Try soaking in magnesium sulfate epsom salt baths, supplementing with magnesium, adding magnesium rich foods to your diet such as soaked nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, broccoli.
Also try resting strained muscles whenever possible.
Getting a prenatal massage from a qualified practitioner can help relieve backache.
Seek out an osteopathy treatment to gently relieve back pain.
Use a hot or cold pack, or try alternating between hot/cold.
If baby has dropped in later pregnancy and is causing pressure on your spine, try lying on your side in the fetal position to get some relief.
N.B. This information is designed to be used in conjunction with, and is not a substitute for, the advice of your doctor or health care practitioner.