What You Can Do to Alleviate Pregnancy Back Pain
July 16, 2009 by
Filed under Pregnancy Fitness, Pregnancy Health
The strain of pregnancy can take its toll on your body, and one of the most common complaints women report in pregnancy is back pain. Although it may not be possible to completely get rid of pregnancy back pain, there are things that you can do that will help minimize the amount of pregnancy back pain that you have.
Because you’re pregnant, you are limited to what you can do to try to alleviate your back pain. Besides Extra Strength Tylenol, there isn’t much that you are allowed to take for pain. For muscle pain, you would usually take an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as Ibuprofen, but pregnant women are advised to stay away from them. So you need to look into alternative methods of treatment for your pregnancy back pain.
Using liberal application of heat and ice is a good way to deal with pregnancy back pain without drugs. The heat will relax the muscles while the ice pack will numb the area to relieve pain. Alternate between the two for 20 to 30 minutes, but always be sure not to apply the hot or cold packs directly to your skin, as it can cause irritation. Make sure that you always wrap the packs into a towel.
Another way to apply heat to relieve your pregnancy back pain is to take a bath. Just make sure that the water isn’t too hot; you don’t want to raise your internal body temperature too much. But a warm bath can do wonders to relieve sore and painful muscles. Adding Epsom salts to the bath can help you relax even more.
Many women also find that massage is useful in relieving their pregnancy back pain. You can either get your partner or a friend to do it, or you can also go to a massage therapist that specializes in pregnancy massage. Going to a professional could be very helpful, as they have dealt with pregnancy back pain many times and will know just what to do to help you relax your muscles and much as possible and give you relief from the aches and pains.
Strengthening your core muscles (the ones around your torso, including your abdominals and back muscles) can also help prevent pregnancy back pain in the first place. The stronger your muscles are, the less strain you will feel on them as your pregnancy progresses. Yoga and pilates are both well known types of exercise that can help strengthen your core.
So, although you can’t take the pain reliever you would have normally reached for, there are things that you can do to alleviate your pregnancy back pain. To find out other ways to minimize your pregnancy back pain and other ways to stay healthy during your pregnancy, Click Here Now to Check Out Pregnancy Without Pounds for Yourself.


