Pregnancy is a joy that only women have the pleasure of experiencing. However, it is not all joys as there are morning sickness to contend with, a lot of dietary restrictions involved, and, when the baby inside the womb starts really growing, low back pain and pelvic pain can really start to limit your movement. Thus, it is difficult to perform the normal activities.

One of the best and proven ways to manage this pregnancy-related pain is undergoing physiotherapy for pregnant women. I should know because I, too, have had the experience of seeking this kind of healthcare treatment when I was pregnant with our first child. You can say that I didn’t believe it at first. But, being a first-time would-be mom, you know that I had to listen to what my obstetrician recommended.

Aside from the routine prenatal check-ups, the diet and exercise regimen, and the stress management techniques that I had to observe, I also had to seek physical therapy services from Wyndham Physio and Rehab in the latter stages of my pregnancy. This was right about the time when my tummy was already bulging and had to compensate by arching my lower back forward to support the growing foetus inside my womb. My lordotic posture led to the ligaments around my pelvis as well as those in my lower spine to buckle under the weight of my baby. That’s when my obstetrician recommended physical therapy.

Physiotherapy helps pregnant women relieve lower back pain and pelvic pain brought about by the lowering of their centre of gravity. This puts pressure on the lower half of the torso particularly the pelvic region leading to muscle tension and sometimes, even pinched nerve endings. My physiotherapist also told me that the increase in pregnancy hormones can bring about inflammatory responses that can aggravate the pain being experience. Together with weight gain, a declining posture, and the stress of having to juggle attention among work, home, social life, and pregnancy can all add up to lower back pain.

All of these are actually interrelated. When we are pregnant, the growing foetus in our womb lowers our centre of gravity. This affects our posture which stresses the muscles around the lower half of our torso and our pelvis. Because of the increased workload of these muscles, they undergo muscle fatigue. This makes us feel not wanting to move because the more we move, the more tired we feel. And this increases our stress which, again, can fuel our pain experiences.

Physiotherapy helps by addressing the issues that are causing low back pain. While certainly there is no way to improve the centre of gravity, we can nevertheless help address the stress that is affecting our muscles. This requires carefully planned exercises that are designed to improve muscle endurance and strength especially our muscles of the back, our abdomen, and the hips. Strengthening these muscles helps us fight muscle fatigue that is causing the pain.

Physical exercises designed by a physiotherapists also focus on flexibility. This helps widen the spaces in between our joints so we can move a lot better. While we may think that our spinal column is one continuous bone, it is actually made up of a lot of bones joined together. That’s why we are able to bend and stretch. Using the same principle, physiotherapists can help us improve the range of motion of these joints so that when we move, it will not be as painful as before.

Now, you may be thinking that why not just pop a pill or two of our favourite prescription painkiller, right? I don’t know about you but I believe my baby doesn’t need that yet. Whatever I take will ultimately be shared with my still-unborn child. So, as much as possible I really don’t want to use any medications that may affect my baby’s health.

My experiences with my physiotherapist were all life-changing, to say the least. It has opened my eyes to the reality that physical therapy is not only indicated in individuals who have suffered a stroke, people with sports injuries, and patients who just underwent surgery. I have come to appreciate that physical therapy is the most qualified profession when you need careful manipulation of the muscles, joints, and bones is needed to help improve mobility, decrease the symptoms of pain, and enhance quality of life.

If you are pregnant and have problems with low back pain, why don’t you try seeking a licensed physiotherapist near you? They are the best professionals for the job. When a specialist provides the treatment to patients who are pregnant, safety is always at hand plus, positive result every after therapy. There is no reason be worries at all.