Pregnant women often experience discomforts and pain such as lower-back pain. In fact 4 out of 5 pregnant women experience low-back pain during their pregnancy. Most of them experience it on the third semester, which is quite understandable. At that time, their bellies have grown so large and heavy it shifted their center of gravity. That shift put a lot of stress on their lower back. This is the reason why pregnancy and physical therapy are often tied together.
For expecting mothers, Physical Therapists (PTs) will try to improve posture, provide pain relief using massage techniques, strengthen the lower back and abdominal muscles, and stretch tight muscles and joints. Some PTs also use relaxation and breathing techniques to make expecting moms more calm during pregnancy.
Physical therapy treatments have been proven effective in preventing and easing back pain in pregnant women. An example of low back pain treatment your PT may use is the technique called pelvic tilt. Pelvic tilt flattens out the curvature of the spine to counter the weight of the belly and lessen the stress on the lower back.
For muscle tightness on the lower back and the pelvic region, your PT may use soft tissue mobilization through the lower back and the glutes to ease the pain symptoms.
Pregnant women also often suffer from sciatica which is pain radiating down their legs. A simple method to ease sciatica pain is by extending and straightening the leg and foot then bend the foot and toes up. It is a simple workout but it works really well for sciatica.
Your Physical Therapist may also give you some exercises you can do at home to make your pregnancy healthier and ensure an easy delivery process. Such exercises may include quadruped arm/leg, opposite arm leg, marching, leg extension, side planks, partial wall ball squat, standing wall stretch, and back stretch.
Note that all those exercises are safe and should not induce any discomfort or pain. If you are experiencing any discomfort while doing any of those exercises you should stop and consult your physical therapist.
Physical therapy is also beneficial for women after the baby is born. New moms often experience discomfort such as pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, prolapse, pelvic floor weakness, perineal tear, scarring, and diastasis recti.
One common post-natal physical therapy is the pelvic rehab to treat the pelvic floor weakness. Your PTs will teach you to focus on your muscles around the pelvic floor and abdomen. That way you can contract or relax them to regain your core muscle strength.
Another common post-natal therapy is for treating diastasis recti. Diastasis recti makes the center of your belly looks like a pooch. No amount of sit-ups of crunches can fix it. What your PT will do is teach special exercises to strengthen the transverse abs muscles. You can later do them at home and not just during therapy sessions.
So, if you are an expecting mom who is worry about pregnancy and physical therapy be sure to consult your Doctor and Physical Therapist. They can help you manage the discomfort you experience during and after pregnancy
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