Causes and Relief for Pregnancy related Back Pain - By: Tomer Harel

Even when humanity was still living in caves, women knew that having a baby and being pregnant is a massively big deal. Not only is a new life arriving, but the woman's body goes through some incredible changes. Her breasts grow and begin lactating, her belly grows round and large, stretching the skin to its limit, the pelvis expands, and the hip bones rotate. All this, of course, places some strain on the spine and skeletal structure. Quite a lot of strain, in fact. The cliche that says that women's bodies can survive anything if it survives pregnancy is true.

Even the smoothest pregnancy includes some level of spinal stress. There is almost no way to avoid it, since a ten pound soccer ball is growing around the abdomen. Basic physics easily proves that the addition of weight in that particular point in the body will stress both the upper and lower spine. So there it is. Pregnancy means spinal pain.

What is it that happens in the female body during pregnancy that causes so much havoc to the spine and back? The most obvious change is that of the center of weight in the body. As the pregnant belly expands and grows, the center of weight changes drastically, affecting the lower back. In response to this, many women begin to adjust their posture to accommodate the extra weight, curving their spine in an exaggerated manner. These two factors, in addition to the widening of the pelvis cause muscles all along the spinal cord to contract in new and painful ways.

The lower back is most often affected severely. By the third trimester, women tend to stand and walk with their shoulders and hips thrown back to balance the extra weight and bulk of the belly and growing breasts. This places an incredible amount of stress on the lower spinal cord. The extra curve inward can throw the entire spinal alignment out of whack, and the constant pressure of carrying an extra load makes it difficult to find relief. It is not rare to find many pregnant women spending their third trimester in bed with their knees to their bellies in an attempt to relieve the pressures on the lower back. Pregnancy Yoga also recommends standing in a dog position (hands and knees to the ground) and bending the back in an upwards curve at least twice a day to stretch out and release the stressed muscles.

The middle back is often overlooked. The entire area between the shoulder blades and the small of the back is under considerable strain during the second and third trimesters. As the pelvis bones widen, muscles along the spinal cord continue to adjust, often tensing around the mid-back area. Middle back pain has a tendency to be overlooked because often the pain is actually felt in the upper or lower back. Because nerve endings often send signals to other areas of the back when they are affected, it is likely that pregnant women don't even know that some of the discomfort they are feeling is originating from the middle back. Also, when both the upper and lower back is in pain, it is hard to distinguish which exact area the pain comes from. There are many Pregnancy Yoga poses that can assist this strain, such as lying on the back and twisting the knees one way and the head and shoulders the other.

The upper back, neck, and shoulders are highly susceptible to pain during pregnancy. This is due both to the compensation posture that pregnant women assume (thrusting the shoulders and hips back to balance the front-heavy belly) and to the extra weight carried by the shoulders. As breasts and bellies grow larger, more strain is placed on the shoulders to carry them. A tight neck results from this. The neck is also severely affected during sleep. Pregnant women often toss and turn at night, since it is so difficult to find a comfortable position after the second trimester begins. Shoulder rotations are recommended in pregnancy Yoga to relieve shoulder and neck tension. It is a horrible feeling, to be limited to only lying on your back. When pregnant women try to sleep on their side, their bellies sag forward and pull their weight into the mattress. Of course, this can place pressure on the belly, not something pleasant to experience during the third trimester. The belly might object as well. Some women try placing a regular pillow under their belly. Some even stack pillows all around them to be able to sleep on their side. But regular pillows just don't work that well. All the back pain is in acute need of relief.

Perhaps the best possible solution for back pain during pregnancy is a pregnancy pillow. Pregnancy pillows are ergonomically designed to relieve pressure on the neck and entire back during the sleeping hours. They come in many different shapes and forms, but the best ones support both the growing belly and the back. Some are designed as two pillows connected by an adjustable Velcro strap to support each side of the body, and others are body pillows: body length bean filled pillows that support the neck, belly, and hips, which enables the spine to stretch and release.

Pregnancy affects women's spinal cord, there can be no doubt about it. There are ways to ease the pain, however. Using a pregnancy or body pillow and practicing pregnancy Yoga, while making sure that you use ergonomically designed office products should help most women relieve those pesky pregnancy pains.

About the Author

Pregnant? Suffering from back pain? Having trouble sleeping comfortably? In pain from sitting at the office all day? Pregnancy Pillows and ergonomic office products are available for your relief. Visit Kare Products today!

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