Is Back Pain A Symptom Of Pregnancy

When To Be Concerned About Lower Back Pain In Pregnancy

• If the back pain continues despite trying lots of strategies to relieve it.
• Increasing levels of pain which are causing you distress.
• If you have other symptoms such as an elevated temperature, vaginal bleeding or feel you may be in early labour.
• Any burning or scalding sensation when you pass urine.
• If you regularly need to take pain relieving medication, or what you have been prescribed is not easing your lower back pain.
• If you are concerned for any reason about your back pain.

Check Hold it Mama The Pelvic Floor & Core Handbook for Pregnancy Birth & Beyond. By Mary O Dwyer RedSok Publishing.

Last Published* November, 2021

*Please note that the published date may not be the same as the date that the content was created and that information above may have changed since.

Other Causes Of Back Pain

There are many other potential causes of back pain, but most are rare. Be sure to see a doctor if you experience regular back pain that does not go away.

After ruling out the more common causes of back pain, your doctor will perform tests to determine if you have a rarer cause. These can :

• one of the vertebrae moving out of place and onto a nearby vertebra, called degenerative spondylolisthesis
• loss of nerve function at the lower spinal cord, called cauda equina syndrome
• fungal or bacterial infection of the spine, such as Staphylococcus, E. coli, or tuberculosis

Back pain can have many symptoms, including:

• a dull, aching sensation in the lower back
• a stabbing or shooting pain that can radiate down the leg to the foot
• an inability to stand up straight without pain
• a decreased range of motion and reduced ability to flex the back

The symptoms of back pain, if due to strain or misuse, are usually short lived but can last for days or weeks.

Back pain is chronic when symptoms have been present for 3 months.

Exercises To Help Get Rid Of Back Pain During Pregnancy

There it is again that annoying back pain during pregnancy, but did you know that with some simple tweaks to posture, activating your deep core and including these 5 exercises in your daily life you can really make an impact on how your body feels. Especially your back!

Back pain during pregnancy is all too common, but it doesnt need to be. I work with clients regularly that go through their entire pregnancy with no back pain during pregnancy at all! Many women who workout with my DVDs or online programs comment about my workouts helping or even completely getting rid of their back pain during pregnancy!

These tips and exercises could really help minimize backaches during pregnancy. Not to mention these pregnancy exercises can help increase your deep core strengthmaking it easier to get that flat belly back more quickly after baby.

While exercise is a part of the equation, eating a healthy balanced diet, and living a healthy lifestyle of minimizing stress, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated and more all ultimately can affect and contribute to back pain relief during pregnancy and after baby and thats why I have my Prenatal + Postnatal Membership! We fused the Knocked-Up Fitness® and Wellness Prenatal Program + The Core Rehab Postpartum & Beyond Program into one membership for all stages of motherhood!

10 Tips for Getting Rid of Back Pain During Pregnancy:

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Glute And Hamstring Foam Rolling

A foam roller is an inexpensive piece of equipment you can use to help massage your muscles. Foam rolling is a great way to soothe and relax tight muscles that may be contributing to increased pain. The roller acts like a mini massage for tight muscles and connective tissue.

Equipment needed: foam roller

Target muscles: hamstrings, calf muscles, glutes, piriformis

How Soon Do Early Pregnancy Symptoms Start

Some women may experience early signs and symptoms within the first weeks of pregnancy in the first trimester, while others may develop symptoms later on in the pregnancy.

• The first signs and symptoms of early pregnancy can also be similar to symptoms experienced prior to the menstrual period, so a woman may not recognize the symptoms as related to pregnancy.

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Chiropractic Care And Sleep

Chiropractic care during pregnant might also facilitate better-quality sleep.

Getting enough sleep is vitally important all the time, including during pregnancy. This is largely because once that new baby comes home, sleep will become a rare thing. However, sleep is important for other reasons, too. Researchers at University of California San Francisco compared the amount of sleep women got late in their pregnancies with their labor times and types of birth. It was found that women who got less than six hours of sleep per night during their final month of pregnancy averaged 29 hours of labor, compared to an average of 17.7 hours of labor for women who slept seven or more hours per night.

Additionally, it was found that compared to women who reported poor sleep two or less nights per week about three weeks before delivery, women who reported poor sleep three to four nights per week were 4.2 times as likely to need a cesarean delivery. Women who reported poor sleep five or more nights per week were 5.3 times as likely to need a cesarean delivery.

This means that its important to take the time to get a good nights rest while pregnant. If youre experiencing back pain during pregnancy, its hard to sleep. Research has even shown that a pregnant womans quality of sleep is closely related to back pain. By undergoing chiropractic care during pregnancy, you can improve your sleep. By extension, you might make your labor experience a little easier.

Tingling And Numbness In Your Hands

Carpal tunnel syndrome tingling and numbness in your hands affects up to 60 per cent of women during pregnancy. It is caused by compression of the median nerve due to an increase in the tissue fluids during pregnancy.

Carpal tunnel syndrome may be mild, intermittently painful, or severe, which may cause partial paralysis of the thumb or loss of sensation. Symptoms usually resolve on their own soon after birth.

If you are experiencing tingling and numbness in your hands, inform your doctor or midwife. In very severe cases, your doctor may recommend corticosteroid injections or surgical treatment.

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How Can Back Pain During Pregnancy Be Treated

Back pain is very common in pregnancy and is usually not serious. While it may not be completely preventable, there are some changes you can make to reduce the severity or frequency of your back pain. Some treatments for back pain include:

While these treatments can help reduce symptoms of back pain, some small changes in your habits can also help prevent triggering or worsening back pain. Some changes are:

• If you need to pick something up from the ground, squat down instead of bending over.
• Avoid wearing high heels or other shoes that do not provide adequate support.
• Avoid sleeping on your back.
• Elevate your feet often, especially when sitting for a prolonged period of time.
• Wear a support belt or support hose, if needed.

Unless you experienced chronic back pain prior to pregnancy, your pain will most likely ease gradually before you give birth.

The Number 1 Reason You Have Lower Back Pain In Early Pregnancy

So youve just found out that youre pregnant- congratulations!!!

If youre like many women, then for now, its probably only you that know this exciting little secret.

The only problem with this is- early pregnancy can bring with it a whole host of challenges- morning sickness, frequent trips to the bathroom, fatigue like youve never, ever felt before, and sometimes, lower back pain.

but its only heavily pregnant woman that suffer from back pain, right?

Wrong!

Whilst weve all seen and felt for those about-to-pop ladies who are clearly waddling their way towards their due date whilst managing lower back pain, the truth is, lower back pain can affect women at all stages of pregnancy.

But before we get to the reasons why youre experiencing this pain, we need to make it clear exactly what we mean by lower back pain, and explain the prevalence and risk factors for it.

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Types Of Back Pain In Pregnancy

Pregnant women may experience back pain that is localized to the lower back area or radiates into the buttock, thigh, and legs, causing or mimicking sciatica symptoms. The pain may be constant, get worse with activity, interfere with sleep, and/or reduce overall functioning. While the symptoms usually resolve spontaneously after delivery, some conditions may remain as chronic disorders. Women with pre-existing lower back problems are typically at a higher risk of developing pregnancy-related back pain.

During pregnancy, natural anatomic and postural changes cause mechanical challenges to the musculoskeletal system, especially in the lower body. Back pain and pelvic discomfort commonly start between the fifth and seventh month of being pregnant. A small percentage of women may experience pain as early as 4 to 16 weeks.1

Late Or Missed Period

Being late or missing your monthly period is the most well-known early sign of pregnancy and for 1 in 3 women, says the American Pregnancy Association, a missed period is still their 1st pregnancy symptom.

There are plenty of other symptoms in our list that you may notice before you miss your period but, as Dr Larisa Corda says, “this is the one that prompts most women to get a pregnancy test.

“Be warned though that not all missed or delayed periods mean youre pregnant. Sometimes weight changes, hormone problems, stress or recently coming off contraception can affect your periods and possibly lead to you missing a period or having a delayed period.”

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And of course, for many of us, late and irregular periods can be the norm which is why it’s useful to know other symptoms.

Saying all that, if your period is unusually late, it’s time to take a pregnancy test.

• Late period but negative pregnancy test? Why you could actually be pregnant

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When Should I Worry About Back Pain During Pregnancy

For the most part, dull, aching back pain is not a reason for concern. However, many women wonder whether back pain is a sign of miscarriage.

According to experts, there are a few specific symptoms to watch for that may indicate a more severe underlying issue. If your pain is severe, shooting, sharp, or anything other than a dull ache, its worth chatting with your doctor.

You should also be cognizant of tingling sensations, or sciatic pain. This is an issue on its own, and likely not just typical pregnancy-related back pain.

Is back pain a sign of miscarriage?

While dull aching back pain isnt necessarily a sign of miscarriage, painful cramps in your abdomen and lower back may indicate a miscarriage.

Before you start freaking out, there are a few things that you can look for that are more obvious and accurate signs of miscarraige. These include vaginal bleeding, discharge of tissue/fluid, and loss of pregnancy symptoms .

Lower Back Pain In Pregnancy

Mechanical instability in the lumbar spine and pelvis commonly results in lower back pain in pregnant women.

• The lumbar spine undergoes compensatory lordosisan increase in the reverse C-shaped curvaturewhich causes excess strain on the lumbar joints, muscles, ligaments, and discs.
• The psoas muscle in the hip, which stabilizes the spine and helps in hip and leg movements, is shortened due to the compensatory lordosis, exacerbating the lower back pain symptoms.2

Lower back pain symptoms may start at any time during pregnancy. These symptoms may feel like:

• A dull ache or sharp, burning pain in the lower back area
• One-sided pain in the right or left area of the lower and/or mid-back
• Pain that radiates into the back of the thigh and leg, and sometimes into the foot
• Foot drop, a condition characterized by the inability to lift the front part of the foot while walking

Sciatica symptoms typically occur if a lower lumbar and/or upper sacral nerve root is impinged in the lower spine due to a lumbar herniated disc, spondylolisthesis, facet joint disorder, or muscle sprain and spasm.

Women with a history of back pain, pre-existing lower back disorders, multiple pregnancies, and/or those who are in the younger or older age-groups may be at a higher risk of developing lower back pain in pregnancy.2

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About Our Expert Obstetrician Dr Larisa Corda

Dr Corda is an obstetrician and gynaecologist who specialises in IVF. After working in Sydney at IVF Australia , she returned to the UK and was awarded membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She now works as a gynaecologist and IVF consultant and is also Fertility Expert for ITV’s This Morning show.

What Are The Symptoms Of Back Pain In Pregnancy

• Lower back pain. If you haven’t had it before, this is a dull pain which you feel when you bend forwards. It restricts your ability to move the lower section of your spine. Certain muscles in your back will hurt when pressed .
• Pelvic girdle pain . This results from loose ligaments and joints in your pelvis. You may feel pain at the back of your pelvis, where there is a joint between your hip bone and the bottom bone in your spine. This joint is called the sacroiliac joint. The pain may be stabbing, shooting, dull or burning, and it may come and go. PGP can radiate into the back of your thighs too . If you also feel pain on or around your pubic bone at the front, you may have a type of PGP called symphysis pubis dysfunction .

• getting up from sitting
• walking for a long time
• lifting and carrying small weights

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• An ice or heat-pack. In my clinical experience, ice over the pubic bone and heat over the gluteals tends to work best for relieving pelvic and back pain. Ice for 10-15 minutes, every 2-3 hours make sure to wrap the icepack in a small towel and dont place directly onto skin. Use the heat-pack for 10-15 minutes, as often as you like but make sure it is comfortable on your skin and not too hot.

• Compression shorts or a pelvic belt to provide extra pelvic support. This can help to manually support the pelvis if the muscles are too weak to do so. However dont be fooled it wont solve all your problems.. you still need to exercise those muscles! You can get these products from your local physiotherapist, doctor or chemist. Best to be fitted by a health care professional to ensure the sizing is correct.

If you have tried all of this and still struggle with pain, then book in with your local womens health physiotherapist for treatment.

You dont need to endure this, you are worthy of a pain-free and enjoyable pregnancy!

xo Physio Laura

Consider Acupuncture Of Chiropractic Treatment

If youre really struggling to stay comfortable during pregnancy, it might be time to call in the professionals.

Chiropractors and acupuncturists have been known to help treat lower back pain during pregnancy, but make sure you clear these methods of low back pain treatment with your doctor. Never seek these treatments without the prior approval of your healthcare provider.

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When To Go To The Hospital

Lower back pain on its own does not necessarily mean that labor is imminent. However, a person should call their obstetric care provider if they notice other symptoms of labor, such as new onset back pain and cramping that occurs about every 10 minutes and lasts for 4050 seconds.

The ACOG recommend that a person go to the hospital if:

• fetal movement is less frequent
• the water has broken, and no contractions are occurring
• there is heavy vaginal bleeding
• they experience severe pain with minimal relief between contractions

Back pain symptoms from pregnancy and labor can be similar, so in some cases, it can be difficult for a person to tell the difference between the two.

However, although lower back pain during labor is

If a person experiencing intense back pain thinks that they might be going into labor, the ACOG recommend paying attention to the following signs:

• regular contractions that are increasing in frequency
• a feeling that the fetus has dropped lower in the pelvis
• the water breaking

Is Pregnancy Back Pain The Same As Sciatica

It can be. If youre feeling sharp, shooting pain that starts in your back or buttocks and radiates down your legs, you may be experiencing sciatica.

The good news about back pain during pregnancy is that it’s usually as resolvable as it is common. Plus, there are many ways to relieve it so if one solution doesnt work, another probably will.

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