A woman’s body is built to nurture new life, but that doesn’t mean the changes it undergoes can’t have negative effects. It’s very common, for example, to see cases of women who have low back pain during pregnancy. And if this is something normal, of course there are not only treatments, but also ways to prevent them from happening or at least from interfering too much in a pregnant woman’s life. We’ll cover all these issues in today’s article. So if you want to understand more about this topic, read until the end!
Can Back Pain be a Sign of Pregnancy?
A question many women have is whether the well-known lower back pain can be a symptom of pregnancy. This type of pain is actually quite common in pregnant women, but it usually happens because of the growing belly, as we’ll see below. Therefore, it’s very unlikely that this symptom by itself indicates pregnancy. Other things such as delayed menstruation, breast swelling, changes in taste, and increased need to urinate are clearer signs that you may be pregnant. Of course, in some cases, low back pain can happen early in pregnancy, even in the first trimester. However, this type of pain can have many other causes, especially if a woman doesn’t know she’s pregnant.
Why Does Low Back Pain Happen During Pregnancy?
It’s very important to understand why low back pain, or lumbago, happens during pregnancy. That way, you know your body better and learn to prevent or treat problems like this. When a woman becomes pregnant, her body starts to change immediately. These changes get bigger as time goes by. And more visible too, because the baby grows and the uterus and the woman’s belly increase in size. It is exactly this increase in belly size that causes a woman’s center of gravity to shift, making many muscles—including the lower back—have to work harder than usual. In addition, the hormonal changes that a pregnant woman goes through end up weakening certain muscles and joints, which also leads to pain occurring more easily. Back pain is usually stronger at the end of pregnancy, due to the increased size of the belly and the woman’s weight. But to prevent this from happening, a woman can take a number of measures starting early in pregnancy. And that’s exactly what we’ll discuss next. 
How to Relieve Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy?
Now that you understand the reasons why low back pain occurs during pregnancy, let’s share some important tips to relieve it and help you have a much smoother pregnancy. Of course, these won’t necessarily make the pain disappear completely, but they can definitely help during tougher moments. The main ways to relieve low back pain during pregnancy are:
- Physical Exercise
- Use a Chair with Back Support
- Avoid Straining the Lower Back
- Get Massages
Let’s talk in detail about each of these ways and show how they can help anyone dealing with this type of pain.
Do Physical Exercise
Contrary to popular belief, physical exercise can benefit pregnant women in many ways. Various types of exercise like walking, water aerobics, stretching, and even weightlifting can help strengthen a woman’s muscles and reduce pain. Of course, it’s necessary to take proper precautions and only do exercises specifically recommended for pregnant women, since overdoing it can have the opposite effect and worsen back pain.
Use Chairs with Back Support
How a woman sits usually has a big impact on the lower back pain she feels during pregnancy. So, in addition to paying close attention to your sitting posture, it’s important to take certain precautions, like using back supports on chairs and seats you use. That way, you can let your lower back rest when sitting and avoid putting too much strain on any nerve or muscle, which helps prevent pain from occurring. Of course, this technique doesn’t provide immediate relief, but it’s important as a way to prevent pain or keep it from getting worse.
Avoid Straining Your Lower Back
Standing for long periods or walking long distances can be quite harmful if you suffer from low back pain during pregnancy. Besides making the pain worse, it can also lead to other problems, such as wear and tear on certain muscles or inflammation of nerves. Therefore, avoiding exercises or activities that overly strain your lower back can help prevent these pains from happening.
Pay Attention to Footwear
Many women don’t realize how certain types of shoes can be harmful during pregnancy. Besides the fact that shoes may become tighter because of usual swelling of the feet during this period, some shoes can put a strain on your lower back without you even noticing. This goes way beyond simply not wearing high heels while pregnant. The best option is to avoid any kind of heel and choose more comfortable, flat or even orthopedic shoes instead, if possible.
Get Massages
One of the most effective (and relaxing) ways to relieve back pain during pregnancy is to get massages specifically for this region. The great thing is that massage can not only relieve pain, but also relieve tension which is very common during this period—ultimately helping prevent various other types of problems.
Can the Baby Be Harmed?
This is a concern for many women, but the answer is simple. There’s no direct link between pain in the lower back during pregnancy and the baby’s development. Still, this type of pain can be harmful to the woman in several ways and end up being reflected in the pregnancy, especially if the pain is so intense that medication must be recommended by the OB/GYN to provide relief. That’s why taking all necessary precautions to prevent pain from getting worse and doing everything possible to relieve it is good not only to make your pregnancy smoother, but also to avoid the baby being affected, even indirectly. If you are worried about lower back pain in pregnancy, it may be bothering you. And even though it doesn’t directly affect the baby, it’s important to take care of it and make sure your pregnancy is mostly filled with positive memories, not with pain that stopped you from living a normal life. That’s why our recommendation is that you always see a doctor if this type of pain is bothering you a lot, in addition to taking all the steps to relieve low back pain during pregnancy we’ve listed here. That way, this special period in your life will definitely leave more happy than painful memories.
