Ease your aches with these techniques that can provide back pain relief during pregnancy.
In this article:
- Practice Good Posture
- Wear Proper Shoes
- Lift Objects Properly
- Experiment with Temperature
- Sleep on Your Side
- Include Gentle Exercises in Your Daily Routine
- Go Swimming
- Try Prenatal Yoga
- Check with a Chiropractor
- Go for a Prenatal Massage
- Try Acupuncture
- Practice Meditation
- Wear a Maternity Belt
13 Tried and Tested Remedies for Back Pain
1. Practice Good Posture
As your baby continues to grow, your body’s center of gravity shifts forward. To compensate for the change, you will tend to lean backwards. This can strain the muscles in your lower back, which leads to back pain during pregnancy.
Try to keep proper posture in mind:
- Stand up tall and straight with your shoulders relaxed.
- Keep your shoulders back.
- Avoid locking your knees.
- Hold your chest high.
- When standing, use a comfortable wide stance for the best support.
- When sitting, choose a chair with good back support. You can also place a small pillow behind your lower back.
2. Wear Proper Shoes
When you’re an expectant mother, it’s best to avoid wearing high-heeled shoes or flats. High heels can increase the curve of your back, creating pressure. This drives the weight of your belly into your lower spine and hip joints.
Flats also don’t provide the proper support for a pregnant woman’s feet. Poor footing position causes imbalance and pain in your legs and back.
The go-to footwear for pregnant women is a comfortable low-heeled shoe. Choose one with an orthotic insert or built-in arch support. This slight rise from the low heel helps distribute weight to your legs in a more stable and supportive way.
3. Lift Objects Properly
When lifting small objects, squat down and lift up with your legs. Don’t lift with your back or bend at the waist. It’s important to be mindful of your limits and to ask for help if you need it.
4. Experiment with Temperature
Home remedies using hot or cold temperatures may be able to provide instant back pain relief:
- Cold: Try ice therapy for acute back pain in the first 48 to 72 hours. Apply a towel-wrapped ice pack in the affected area for 15 minutes. The coldness can slow pain signals to the brain and ease swelling.
- Heat: Turn up the temperature a bit to promote healing after cold therapy. Heat can promote circulation and lessen any lingering pain. Put 2 cups of uncooked rice inside a sock or any cotton pouch. Knot the open end of the sock and microwave it for 60 seconds. Apply this to the painful area for 15 minutes.
5. Sleep on Your Side
Sleep on your side with one or both of your knees bent. You can also opt to use support pillows or pregnancy pillows. Place them between your knees, behind your back, or under your abdomen.
6. Include Gentle Exercises in Your Daily Routine
Regular physical activity and exercise can keep your core and back strong. This can also prevent back pain during pregnancy.
Check with your physiologist if you are okay to perform gentle activities. You can try walking or water exercise. A physical therapist can also show you some back pain relief exercises and stretches.
7. Go Swimming
Swimming is one of the most recommended exercises for pregnant women because it takes pressure off of the spine. When you’re suspended in water, gravity has no effect on your body. This makes you weightless in the water.
Paddling up and down the pool lanes helps decompress your spine. This can also tone your arms, legs, back, and core muscles. Swimming is a good way of making sure you exercise the lower back muscles without strain.
RELATED: Postpartum Exercise: How To Reclaim Your Body After Pregnancy
8. Try Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga is a favorite among pregnant women who experience pain in their backs, nerves, joints, and muscles. This pain is due to carrying the weight of pregnancy.
Prenatal yoga can improve posture and help prepare the body for the birthing process. This mindful exercise also helps relieve emotional stress with deep breathing exercises.
9. Check with a Chiropractor
Chiropractors use techniques which provide back pain relief. These practitioners use soft tissue work and prescribed exercises.
They also use joint manipulation which can cause a popping sound. These activities help prevent nerve compression, muscle tightness, and joint misalignment.
Note: Exercise caution before going for a chiropractic adjustment. Always consult your doctor’s approval first.
10. Go for a Prenatal Massage
A prenatal massage therapist can bring instant back pain relief. They can ease muscle clenching which irritates nerves in the buttocks and legs. Regular prenatal massage can help reduce anxiety and depression in pregnant women.
The most recommended method of prenatal massage is the Swedish massage. It uses long, soothing strokes. It won’t aggravate joints or course fluid through the body in an unhealthy way.
11. Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an East Asian medical technique used for many health issues. Acupuncturists insert fine needles into specific pressure points on the body. Stimulating acupuncture points can provide back pain relief, boost your energy level, and ease migraine headaches.
Consult your doctor before trying this method. Also, find a reputable therapist who has acupuncture experience specifically for pregnant women.
12. Practice Meditation
Meditation is a technique you can practice at any time or place. There are many ways to practice meditation.
One is to lie down or sit in a quiet place. Focus on your breathing, with deep inhalations and exhalations.
You can choose to meditate in silence or listen to calming music. A guided audio program can also help you with your practice.
Meditation elicits a biological “relaxation response.” This signals the brain to control the release of stress hormones. Regular meditation can also increase your pain tolerance level.
13. Wear a Maternity Belt
A maternity belt is a supportive undergarment sold in many maternity clothing shops. It helps hold up the belly, so you don’t strain your lower back and pelvic muscles too much.
If your belly protrudes forward, the maternity belt supports your abdominal muscles. This prevents your lower spine from exaggerating its curvature, resulting in back pain.
Here are some comprehensive tips from SingHealth to reduce back pain:
Expectant mommies undergo a lot of physiological changes throughout their pregnancy. The major changes they experience can take a toll on their bodies.
Back pain is one of the most common symptoms expecting mom’s face because of carrying the weight of pregnancy in their bellies. These home remedies for back pain relief can ease those aches. For persistent symptoms that won’t go away, it’s best to check with your doctor.
What are your go-to remedies for back pain? Share them with us in the comments section below!
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