Low back pain/posterior pelvic pain is a common complaint during and after pregnancy. It is estimated that approximately 50% of all women suffer from back pain during pregnancy, and 37% of these women will have pain in the months following birth of their child (Chumanov et al. 2012).
At a time when women are often attempting to resume their pre-pregnancy activities, low back pain can result in significant disability. There can be many reasons for this pain. It might be as a result of the increased weight carried during pregnancy, changes in posture, hormonal changes including relaxin, neuromuscular changes etc. Accurate assessment by your physiotherapist or other healthcare professional is a must in this case as it is in any other case!
A recent study in JOSPT found lumbar stabilization exercises to be effective in the treatment of a postpartum runner (Chumanov et al. 2012). In this study, a variety of stabilization exercises were used, in addition to modifying the woman’s running style. As a result of her physiotherapy treatment, she was able to return to running with little or no pain, and achieved her goal of completing a marathon.
With many young and active women in Alliston, knowledge of effective postpartum physiotherapy assessment and treatment techniques is something we pride ourselves in at South Simcoe Physiotherapy. All of our therapists have extensive knowledge in pregnancy related and postpartum pain. Preya has a special interest in women’s health and has post graduate training in this area. If you need help with getting back to the activities that you enjoy, give us a call!