Pregnancy Pain
PREGNANCY PAIN
Most people know that w/ pregnancy, usually comes some pain. Why is this besides the obvious answers? Let’s dive a little deeper into a couple keys areas of complaint I usually see w/ my clients.
Low back pain → This one is pretty easy, because we can visibly see the increase in weight & belly protrusion on the woman’s body. However, underneath that her body is going through major shifts & preparation for baby to come. First off there is a hormone released, called relaxin, that works mainly on the ligaments. This allows the woman to prepare room in the birthing canal for the baby to come out later on. However, this increased flexibility usually comes w/ increased instability. Secondly, there’s a shift in center of gravity for the mother that causes her body to try to find new ways to move & work with this new weight, which always is not the best way. These two factors alone cause increased work & stress to the low back, glutes & core.
Upper back pain → Another somewhat obvious cause, increase in breast size due to milk preparation for baby. However, these knockers do cause an increase in stress + tension to the upper back, shoulders & neck. A less obvious cause for this is actually the stress & tension in the woman’s low back, the increase in instability causes the body to look for stability in other areas, specifically the low back calls in the upper back to help counterbalance.
Hip pain → We initially think that because we are carrying more weight in general, that this could be the cause of our pain. True, but let’s go deeper. It is usually caused by the increased instability in joints overall, especially the low back, & the increased strain to the muscles so desperately trying to do double the work. Sometimes old injuries can come to light here during pregnancy for these very reasons.
Soft tissue is a fabulous way to address those sore & achy muscles. Prescribed exercises &/or stretches done during the pregnancy help ease the birthing process & decrease recovery time afterwards! Manipulation is very safe & gentle.