Pregnancy

Pregnancy and lower back pain: the hidden cause

By Dr. Thomas Sullivan
www.losethebackpain.com

The decisions of picking a name? The anticipation and excitement? Painting the new room? Clothing, diapers and family celebrations. The joy of a pregnancy is one of life's greatest pleasures. Unfortunately however, for many women, the later months of pregnancy can prove to be quite challenging. One common problem many women face is lower back pain.

Lower back pain can be a horrible interruption in day-to-day activities for a pregnant woman. More importantly, it interferes with her quality of life, not to mention the enjoyment of one of the most memorable times of her life.

The obvious cause of lower back pain is the biomechanical stress being placed on the mother by the added weight of her baby. As the baby gains weight, the mother is pulled forward. To compensate for this forward pull, the mother has to lean her upper body backward. This puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the lower back and pelvis.

This explanation of low back pain sounds complete. It is a true explanation but is only a small part the problem. The "hidden" cause of lower back pain is actually muscle imbalances. In fact, while muscle imbalances are a common cause of lower back pain in pregnancy but they are also responsible for back pain in a majority of the population.

The strength and tone of the muscular system is an extremely important factor when assessing a patient with lower back pain. Unfortunately, muscle imbalances are not addressed properly by most health practitioners. But just because they are not trained in identifying and addressing muscle imbalances, it doesn't mean you have to continue to suffer.

Before I share with you the solution to this problem, let me first explain in more detail what a muscle imbalance is and how it causes back pain and sciatica.

In a nutshell, muscle imbalances work like this: muscles work together with opposing muscles to allow movement at joints. One muscle stretches while the other shortens. Each side should be of equal tone and strength. When a pregnant woman walks, moves, bends, twists, or sleeps, she will typically do so in an unbalanced and awkward manner to accommodate for her increased weight. In addition, various everyday activities and positions create imbalances in the muscle groups and during pregnancy, these only worsen.

Muscle imbalances then pull the pelvis and low back out of alignment, thereby placing uneven and excessive stress on the muscles, bones, and joints.

The spine comprises 24 moveable bones with a shock-absorbing disc between each bone. This spinal column rests on three large bones called the pelvic girdle. When this spinal column is in proper alignment, it will carry a majority of the weight and stress being placed on the body. When one or more of these 24 bones misaligns, especially the pelvis, the muscles work overtime, so to speak. They now have to carry the weight the spinal column is supposed to handle. At this point, the muscles are unbalanced and are very prone to an injury. Lower back pain is the most common expression of this problem.

If the above scenario takes place, the stage has been set for lower back pain and dysfunction. Not only do expectant moms have to deal with safely carrying the baby, they now have to do it with a painful lower back.

The solution is based on a better understanding of muscle imbalances and how your body works. The first thing you have to do is fully understand what muscle imbalances are, how they are created and how they cause back pain and sciatica.

Once you understand muscle imbalances, the next step is to identify the ones you have and understand how they are creating your pain. After you have identified the imbalances, you can then begin addressing them with the right combination of corrective exercises, stretches, and treatments.

For more information on how to treat all forms of Back Pain read the latest Back Pain Advisory from The Healthy Back Institute. Visit www.losethebackpain.com to sign up for your free back pain e-mail educational course and to learn more about how to identify and address your muscle imbalances.