Competitive Edge

It’s totally a lie. Trust me.

…Back pain does NOT have to be a “normal” part of pregnancy.

As I write this, I am almost 7 months pregnant. And I have “0” lower back pain! I have experienced a little achiness here and there as my body has changed to accommodate the bab, but it is not a part of my day to day life. And it doesn’t have to be a part of yours during your pregnancy!

You’ve probably read articles that say that it is caused by hormones and is therefore unavoidable. And while hormones do impact your ligaments and therefore your muscles and tendons during pregnancy, in my humble opinion, it is not what causes back pain in a normally pain-free, healthy woman.

Right now your body is doing amazing things to grow a human inside of you. Your pelvis is naturally widening, and your organs are migrating into new positions to make room for your growing “tenant.” This means that you are moving differently. All of that weight on the front side of your body is pulling you in a “lordotic” position with an “Anterior pelvic tilt.” All that means is that your lower back is starting to arch because of your growing belly. Not only does this put more stress and strain on the muscles and joints of the low back, but the muscles at the front of the hip also tighten up in response. Your quads begin to get tight, and you start to lose touch with your core and pelvic floor muscles, making it harder to stabilize the pelvis. If you’re really lucky, because of all of this change, tension, and lack of stability, your hips are likely to go out of alignment (“Sacroiliac joint dysfunction). No wonder your back might hurt!

BUT it doesn’t have to!

All of these changes to the muscles and joints can be mitigated by proper stretching and strengthening, and overall body awareness. If you work to keep your core and hips strong and stable, stretch the muscles that are naturally tightening up, and remain mindful of moving properly and keeping your spine straight- there is no reason why your back should hurt!  

So book an appointment with one of our Athletic Therapists or a health care professional near you who is familiar with providing treatment during pregnancy, and take care of your body. After all, it is growing another human life! It needs all the love and attention it can get!

Written by Lindsay Langlais, Certified Athletic Therapist