Pregnancy Archives - Michigan Spine & Pain

Pregnant and in Pain?

You’re Not Alone. Many pregnant women report a variety of aches and pains that accompany the tremendous body changes that occur during these 40 weeks.

But one pain is always at the top of the list and may be preventable.

60% of pregnant women report that they suffer from back pain. This back pain is a result of the increased curvature of the spine during pregnancy and the added weight that the lower back has to support. In addition, a woman’s center of gravity shifts as her pregnancy progresses.

If your doctor allows it, a gentle regimen of specific exercises can help alleviate and may even prevent back pain during pregnancy.

Exercises that strengthen the back muscles and the abdominal muscles are recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Recommended exercises include:

Cat stretches
Wall sits
Sit-ups
Stationary bicycling
Swimming (highly recommended!)
Walking

Check with your health care team, but most women can do these specific exercises during and after their pregnancy. Certain complications may rule out specific exercises or even any physical activity whatsoever including preeclampsia and placenta previa.

Here is a great resource on recommended exercises released by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: ACOG report on physical activity and exercise during pregnancy

Pregnancy and Pelvic Girdle Pain: No Need to Suffer

Pregnant women may not have heard of the term pelvic girdle pain, but many women have experienced this condition.

The pelvic girdle refers to a ring of bones at the base of the spine. Pelvic girdle pain is felt in the front or back of the pelvis. Other symptoms include pain in the lower back, hips, groin, pubic region, pain in the thighs and knees and clicking or grinding sounds made in the pelvis area, which can be exacerbated with certain movements of the legs and hips. Pain can range from mild pain to severe pain.

Pregnancy can put a great deal of stress on the pelvic girdle, which can cause weakness and instability; as a result 20% of pregnant women experience pelvic girdle pain.

The good news: pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy is treatable throughout the pregnancy. Even better news: the treatment is safe for the growing baby. Women do not need to suffer needlessly when they experience pelvic girdle pain.

If you experience pelvic girdle pain, contact your health care provider. In the meantime, you should be aware of some typical treatments:

Avoiding movements that seem to contribute to the pain. For instance if moving your legs apart laterally tends to produce clicking or pain, avoid that position. Adapting to this temporary condition may require consultation with a physical therapist with whom you can discuss your regular activities, including exercise. You may also need to discuss sex and sex positions with your physical therapist.
Exercises can also be prescribed which reduce pain, increase flexibility and strength. Swimming is a great exercise, which is easy on all of your joints. In addition, the water temperature and the feeling of weightlessness can be quite therapeutic.
Chiropractic manual therapy is often quite successful in addressing pelvic girdle pain issues.
Acupuncture is another complementary therapy that can bring immediate as well as long term relief.

Looking ahead: most women with pelvic girdle pain are able to have a vaginal birth. In addition, 90% of pregnant women who experience pelvic girdle pain are “cured” once the baby has been delivered. One caveat: future pregnancies have a higher chance of also including pelvic girdle pain.

Pregnancy Headaches: What Can You Do?

Pregnancy brings with it the promise of a new baby and all of the attendant excitement.

But pregnancy can also bring new health issues or exacerbate old ones. One of the most bothersome side effects of pregnancy can be headaches.

Why do you get pregnancy headaches?

A number of things are happening in your body and your life that could be causing your pregnancy headache.

If you are already prone to tension headaches or migraines, your state of being pregnant will not improve on that. For many women, pregnancy (particularly an unplanned one), may trigger more concerns or anxiety, which is perfectly understandable. If your family or economic situation is stressful, this could also be leading to pregnancy headaches.

But the major cause of pregnancy headaches is hormonal changes in your body. These hormones are the same things that cause nausea. There is nothing you can do about hormonal changes.

Know your personal headache triggers. If you already know what caused you to get headaches pre-pregnancy, avoid those triggers now that you are pregnant. Some women respond poorly to low blood sugar and need to eat small meals more often; other women are suddenly sideswiped with overwhelming fatigue that brings on headaches and need to curtail their activities and take time for occasional naps or else catch up on the weekends. Other women find that certain foods are headache-inducing.

If you are not sure what could be contributing to your headaches, keep a headache diary and note the time and date of your headache as well as what you ate and did during the 6-12 hours prior to the headache. Bring the diary with you to your doctor and try to find the patterns of pain.

Caffeine withdrawal can also cause headaches. If you are giving up caffeine, do so slowly over two weeks’ time, as an immediate cold turkey can bring on headaches.

Treating your pregnancy headache:

Just popping a pill for headache is not so simple during pregnancy. On the list of drugs to avoid are aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen as well as Imitrex.

Doctors used to regularly recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) to their pregnant patients You should be aware of two recent studies that implicate acetaminophen in developmental delays and increased incidence of ADHD among children whose mothers took it.

Other remedies can be effective. Some of these include:

Meditation and relaxation
Slow stretching
Warm baths with the lights off (for migraine sufferers)
Cold compresses behind the neck
Warm compresses over the nose and eyes (for sinus headache sufferers)
Increasing water consumption
Massage, acupuncture and acupressure
Including physical activity, especially outside walks
Getting adequate rest
Monitor your posture to be sure it is not contributing to headaches.

Pregnancy is a complicated time for your body. Please consult with your health care provider regarding all aspects of your pregnancy.

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Pregnant and in Pain?

Pregnancy and Pelvic Girdle Pain: No Need to Suffer

Pregnancy Headaches: What Can You Do?

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