The Top 3 Myths Around Pregnancy Related Pain
Pregnancy is a transformative journey and it is different for everyone, I’m writing this as a male, who has watched and (hopefully) helped my amazing wife give birth to our two kids. I therefore cannot speak from personal experience how it impacts my body, so please take everything I say with a pinch of salt.
The purpose of the blog is to shed some light on how we look after our clients that are going though pregnancy. Lots of our clients fall pregnant whilst having care and are not in pain but want to optimise their body for labour. Whereas others come in severe discomfort and our job is to get them in the best position for the rest if the pregnancy and help them with labour.
Book a consultation with a Chiropractor here
What is pregnancy related pain?
There are several types of pain during pregnancy and it can happen for different reasons often with no causation.
- Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction (SPD) or Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP): this is the most common type of pain experienced during pregnancy. At the front of the pelvis there is a joint called the pubic symphysis joint and this can get irritated due to the laxity in the ligaments surrounding the pelvis and become extremely painful. Coupled with the extra weight and relaxin it can be debilitating for pregnant women
- Sciatica: due to the increase in weight, this can put pressure on the sciatic nerve which goes rom the back through the buttock and down the leg. We have many cases of this that resolves relatively easily with Chiropractic care and also once the baby is born we hear stories of it disappearing almost instantly like someone switches a light on.
- Round ligament pain: this is felt in the front of the abdomen around the sides, a the uterus expands it can put pressure on the supporting round ligament. Again a technique we use called Webster technique to alleviate pressure on the round ligament.
Myth 1: All pain in pregnancy is normal
Some discomfort is common in pregnancy but there are some pains that are not. 1 in 5 pregnant women will suffer with SPD and need treatment. But if there is intense abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding or extreme headache, these are concerns and should be referred to a healthcare practitioner.
We see many of our clients sail through pregnancy as their bodies are kept in a good position as it change over the 9 months. If you are struggling with pain it doesn’t have to be that way, come and see us and let us see how we can help.
Myth 2: Pain is inevitable and untreatable during pregnancy
This is simply not true, as mentioned above it doesn’t have to be this way. A lot of our clients thought they would just have to go through the pain until labour, suffering in silence for 4-6 months. It doesn’t have to be that way.
The pain is very often due to the changes in ligament tension and increased weight, a Chiropractor can assist your body to stay in a neutral position and guide you through your term.
Myth 3: Pain medications are the only solution
They will help, but long-term use of pain medications is not advised, least of all when pregnant as well. Natural interventions such as Chiropractic, physiotherapy and osteopathy can provide wonderful relief and are safe for the mother and baby.
Book a consultation with a Chiropractor here
What are the best exercises to help with pain during pregnancy?
- Yoga: very good for relaxation, balance and helps with gentle breathing techniques and optimizing the position of the pelvis.
- Pelvic floor exercises: The bird dog is a great movement during pregnancy to practice breathing and also give stability from side to side of the pelvis, you can watch here. Secondly squatting is a great movement to do to build strength in the legs and glutes to help the pelvis. We want to get as much strength in the low back and glutes to support the bump, try sets of 10 very slowly and concentrate on your breathing.
- Swiss ball: I know it’s a given and a cliché, but they are really good for pelvic floor stability, focus on drawing the rib cage up and back to try and give some space to the bump.
Book a consultation with a Chiropractor here
If you do know someone who wants more advice, please send them our details. You can send them this assessment as well to diagnose their back pain. It is a great tool to understand where your back pain is coming from, it is free and takes 60 seconds. Click here for assessment
