Low Back Pain In Pregnant Women And Others With Excess Abdominal Weight…
Did you know that 50-72% of women have low back pain and/or pelvic pain during their pregnancy but only 32% do something about it? Let’s take a closer look.
Pregnancy-related low back pain can be a highly debilitating syndrome that accounts for the most common cause of sick leave for pregnant women. In 2004, Americans spent $26.1 billion dollars in an effort to find relief from back pain during pregnancy. Statistics show that one out of ten women will experience daily DISABLING low back pain for at least two years following delivery.
Because of the limited number of treatment options available for the pregnant woman due to mother and fetus safety, and given the high propensity of potentially disabling back pain that can significantly limit function and quality of life, chiropractic care seems to be a natural choice for pregnant women with low back pain. Obviously, pharmaceuticals and surgery are NOT appropriate options for the expectant mother, even during the post-partum breast-feeding period. Chiropractic offers a non-invasive and safe approach to managing lumbopelvic pain that uses many different approaches.
In a 2009 research paper, 78 women participated in a study that investigated disability, pain intensity, and percent improvement after receiving chiropractic care to treat pregnancy-related low back pain. The result showed that 73% reported their improvement as either “excellent” or “good.” For disability and pain, 51% and 67% (respectively) experienced clinically significant improvement. Researchers followed up with them eleven months later and found that 85.5% reported their improvement as either “excellent” or “good.” For disability and pain, 73% and 82% (respectively) experienced clinically significant improvement.
So, what’s causing low back pain in pregnant women? Because of the biomechanical changes that occur in the low back and pelvis over a relatively short amount of time during pregnancy, especially in the second and third trimesters, common pain generators include (but are not limited to): the sacroiliac joint, facet joints, shock-absorbing discs, and the many connecting muscles (strains) and ligaments (sprains). During the later stages of pregnancy, the hormone Relaxin prepares the pelvis for delivery by widening the pelvic girdle, which can also be problematic.
So, the answer is clear. When pregnancy induced low back pain strikes, seek chiropractic care to safely and effectively manage the pain and disability… and so that you can ENJOY YOUR PREGNANCY. If you know someone who is pregnant, tell them to call us to help them get back pain relief… since many pregnant women suffer from low back pain.
Besides pregnant women, men and women who are NOT pregnant… but have excess weight in their abdomen… can also develop low back pain. If you know someone who has low back pain caused by excess abdominal weight, have them call us. We’ll do our best to help restore the proper alignment and motion of their low back to help their back tolerate their excess abdominal weight.