PREGNANCY & BACK PAIN: Relieve Your Pregnancy Pains With Physical Therapy
Why do you experience back pain during pregnancy? The short answer is this: you’re growing a baby! Most expecting mothers report their back pain occurring at the “sacroiliac joint,” which is the area where your pelvis meets your spine. This happens due to a combination of several factors, including: • Increased weight. Women typically gain 25-35 pounds during pregnancy. This puts extra stress on the spine, since it is responsible for supporting your weight. The growing baby in your uterus also puts extra pressure on the nerves and blood vessels surrounding your back and pelvis, which can also attribute to your back pain. • Separation of muscles. As your uterus continues to expand throughout your pregnancy, stress is put on your “rectal abdominis” muscles. These muscles run parallel to one another, from the rib cage to the pubic bone. With continued expansion of the uterus, it is possible for these muscles to separate along the center seam, in a condition known as “diastasis recti.” This may cause or further aggravate your back pain. • Changes in posture. When you’re pregnant, your center of gravity changes. To compensate for this, most women will adjust their posture and the way they move, sometimes without even realizing they are doing so. Postural changes may cause a strain in the back, leading to discomfort. • Changes in hormones. During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone known as “relaxin.” This increases joint laxity and – much like its name infers – allows the ligaments and joints in the pelvic area to relax. This is your body’s natural way of preparing for vaginal birth; however, the relaxin hormone can also cause ligaments in the spine to loosen. When this happens, instability and pain can ensue. How can you find relief? At Centra Rehabilitation, we offer prenatal and perinatal physical therapy treatments for pregnancy- related pain relief. Treatment plans for prenatal and perinatal care related to back pain typically involve gentle therapeutic exercises, stretches, and manual therapy. These are all done in order to relieve pain, strengthen your core muscles, and improve posture. Your physical therapist may also suggest additional methods and modalities, such as massage or ice and heat therapies, in order to provide additional relief and optimum function as deemed necessary. Contact us today: Centra Rehabilitation can help expecting mothers find relief from prenatal pains as their bodies experience the effects of pregnancy. You don’t need to suffer before your delivery. Contact us today to schedule an appointment, and we’ll create a plan to help you along your pregnancy. By including physical therapy in your prenatal care, you’ll be able to relieve your pain and better prepare yourself for one of the biggest challenges in a woman’s life: delivering and caring for a baby.
Did you know a physical therapist can help with bladder leakage?
Up to 45% of women have some form of bladder leakage. Men experience leaks too, but women are more prone to them because of physical changes from childbirth and menopause. Bladder leaks can happen when you cough, laugh, run or as you race to the bathroom. When that starts, many people think they need to use
a bladder leakage protection product and modify their lifestyle. But physical therapy actually can address leaks by strengthening the pelvic floor, hip and core muscles that help to start and stop the flow of urine. Centra has therapists that specialize in pelvic health. They can help by
performing a thorough examination to identify the causes of your urinary incontinence, and will ask you to describe your symptoms and your daily experiences. They may assess the muscles of your pelvis, hip and low back, as well as the coordination, strength, and flexibility of the muscles of your pelvic floor. Based on the evaluation results, your physical therapist will create an individualized treatment program to improve your pelvic-floor muscle function and can help you: • Gain control over your symptoms • Reduce the need for pads and special undergarments, incontinence medications, and possibly surgery
Call us today for more information or to schedule an appointment. 434.200.7600
CALL US TODAY IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ARTHRITIS PAIN
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