After Pregnancy Physical Therapy
Postpartum Physical Therapy Services
Exercising during and after pregnancy is exceptionally important, and every pregnant woman should invest her time doing so when under the supervision of her physical therapist and personal trainer. Movement is the very essence of health and is beneficial to everyone. Just as a professional athlete needs to stay on top of his game year-round, future moms have to take extra care of their health status in order to be able to endure one of the most demanding and beautiful periods of their life.
Running through the basics - what can I expect during pregnancy?
Carrying a baby causes loads of changes, and a lot occurs due to physiological hormonal fluctuations in your body. In the beginning, everything is gradual, then it speeds up dramatically. In the final trimester, you can tell every difference from week to week.
All of this means changes in all tissues, but most important for us as physical therapists, connective and muscle tissue becomes more soft and flexible, so it can adapt to extra weight and distension happening in your abdominal area. It all sounds quite normal, and it absolutely is. However, things involving pain in the back and joints tend to happen as well, and are often also categorized as "physiological" and transitory. Pain is not something you should tolerate, especially during and after pregnancy while stress is out of the question. My team here at Evolve physical therapy in Brooklyn can assure you that there is much that can be done to make your pregnancy as painless as possible.
Physiotherapy for Back Pain
The lower back and joint system are where the pain is most likely to occur while carrying a baby. This usually happens around the 5th month, followed by an increase in body weight. Some of the other contributing factors would be:
Sitting a lot, or sleeping in a non-physiological position
Laxity of ligaments in pregnancy
Increased pressure on lower extremity nerves caused by the enlargement of the uterus
Distension of the deep abdominal wall
Of course, not all of these problems happen to every single pregnant woman. But still, the main rule I always follow in this particular case is that exercise is our best friend in ensuring a more comfortable postpartum period. In that case, I suggest we get down to working out!
Relieving postpartum back pain is one of our main goals here at Evolve. You can expect one of our therapists to lead you through an individual postpartum workout plan consisting of carefully selected exercises to cover every critical region.
Strengthening your core is something your body will be most grateful for because weakness in the abdomen automatically means weakness of the spine stabilizing system. With nothing to hold your vertebrae, lower back pain is imminent. However, that is something we can and will change.
Our next stop will be mending the abdominal separation, also known as diastasis recti abdominis. During pregnancy as your abdomen distends, and connective tissue or linea alba that connects left and right side of the rectus abdominis muscle becomes stretched and become thinner. This allows the abdominal muscles to stretch as well and make room for the baby. Sometimes this separation in your abdomen spontaneously retreats after giving birth, but there are cases that demand physical therapy treatment. This is where we jump in, offering you the opportunity to try out our postpartum rehab program at Evolve!
Manual therapy as a Healing Approach
Manual therapy consists of applying specific techniques and skills such as joint manipulation and mobilization, as well as methods by which a physical therapist evaluates and treats soft tissues and bone structures. The primary goal of manual therapy is to reduce pain, increase mobility and eliminate inflammatory changes. This will, of course, result in better blood circulation in that region as well, ensuring much quicker convalescence in your postpartum period!
Manual therapy techniques can be used as a multi-modal approach, and we should always strive to combine them with other kinesitherapy and proprioceptive techniques. Many elements of this healing method require certain expertise, and that is why you should consider consulting one of our team members here at Evolve physical therapy.
How can strength training help me in the postpartum period?
Just when you think you're out of the woods you realize that there are loads of things waiting for you on the other side, and it's not going to be easy getting them back like they used to be. Like I said in the beginning, exercising at this point may feel over overwhelming after all you've been through, but it is your one-way ticket to feeling and looking healthy and functional once again. It will benefit you greatly, and help you to do the following:
Reestablish normal breathing patterns: In the postpartum period, paradoxical breathing can occur and gentle, steady breathing exercises and kinesitherapy is just what you need to get back on track.
Strengthen your deep pelvic floor: In order to prevent unpleasant incontinence episodes, muscles of the pelvic floor should always remain on top of their function and serve as a steady foundation for your urogenital tract and pelvic organs. To ensure all of this, we offer you to join us at Evolve and follow a workout plan devised by one of our team members that will help you in cases like this.
Improve stability of your lower back: We already talked about the importance of spine stability through pregnancy and it is equally important for it to stay stable and healthy after your postnatal rehabilitation. Again you can consult one of our therapists, and enroll in our postpartum rehab program that can be designed according to your needs!
Work with the Evolve Team for Physical Therapy After Pregnancy
There is absolutely no need for you to feel additionally exhausted and in pain because of a few bumps on the road. With the right amount of attention and work, everything can become the way it used to be. So come and join us so that we make sure you fully enjoy your newest phase of life. Oh and, congratulations!
