Treat Pregnancy and Postpartum Pain with Physical Therapy
Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy and New Mom Life with Physical Therapy
Pregnancy Doesn’t Have to Hurt! Physical Therapy Can Help
Pregnancy is often a time of great joy and anticipation but there is no denying that a woman’s body undergoes many changes before, during, and after childbirth. Emotional, physical, and hormonal changes are all a part of the process of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum life for new moms. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, you may have heard other women discuss the changes their body has undergone before and after pregnancy. While some of these changes are out of your control and simply a necessary part of the process, others may be prevented, controlled or relieved with the help of a knowledgeable physical therapist!
It's true, physical therapists can undergo specialty training in the care of antepartum (before childbirth) and postpartum (after childbirth) women. While you may have heard that low back pain during pregnancy, incontinence after childbirth and new muscle and joint pain from caring for a newborn are all to be expected, the truth is, there is a lot that a physical therapist can do to help treat, alleviate and prevent many of these problems! As is the case with all medical conditions, it is important to check with your doctor before starting any new physical activity while pregnant, but this article will give you an introduction to how physical therapists help their clients before and after pregnancy.
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF PREGNANCY-RELATED PAIN?
Before, during, and after childbirth your hormones are fluctuating significantly. Hormones such as progesterone and relaxin cause increased ligament laxity during pregnancy. This has the effect of allowing the pelvis to expand during the birth but also causes laxity in other joints such as the lower spine. Because the ligamentous laxity tends to reach its height during the second trimester as a woman’s uterus is expanding, her belly is getting larger, and her posture is changing, low back and pelvic pain may develop.
Other causes of musculoskeletal pain or discomfort are the new physical demands of caring for a newborn. Bending down repeatedly to pick up an infant out of a crib or off the floor, holding a baby in one arm for prolonged periods, or even holding a bottle for an extended time can cause stress and strain on the muscles, joints, and nerves. Neck, shoulder, wrist, hip, or leg pain may develop but can often be addressed with a good physical therapy program.
Finally, pregnancy and childbirth place a high physical demand on the pelvic organs and pelvic floor. Constipation, urinary and/or bowel incontinence, painful sex, and pelvic pain can result. Many women may find these issues embarrassing or assume they are just a “normal part of having a baby” and don’t know that a pelvic floor physical therapist can educate them on these symptoms and create a treatment plan for them.
HOW CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP?
Prevention, prevention, prevention! Because we know that pregnancy will put a certain amount of strain on your musculoskeletal system, preparing the body to handle that stress is one of the best ways you can decrease your risk of developing pain or discomfort before or after childbirth. In most cases, exercise is safe during pregnancy and if your doctor has given you the green light to exercise, you might be wondering what is and isn’t safe for you to do while pregnant. A physical therapist with training in the assessment and treatment of pre- and postpartum clients is an excellent resource for developing an exercise plan to prepare your body for the process of nurturing a growing fetus, giving birth and starting new routines of caring for your child.
During an evaluation, physical therapists will perform an individualized assessment of your muscle strength, flexibility, movement patterns, prior history of injury, and level of activity. After assessing these areas, they can prescribe a series of stretches, movements, and exercises to help keep you strong, flexible, healthy, and as pain-free as possible throughout your pregnancy. Because of their area of expertise, you can feel confident that your physical therapist understands the special considerations for pregnancy and exercise so that your program will be both safe and effective.
What if you are already having pain? Not to worry, if you are feeling pain or discomfort associated with pregnancy or after giving birth, there is a lot that can be done to help. One of the most important roles your physical therapist will play is as an educator. Understanding how to move your body and care for your baby in the most biomechanically sound way possible can help to relieve some of the excess stress on your nerves, joints, and muscles.
If you have an old injury that is flaring up or new pain or discomfort that has developed, a physical therapist will be able to assess the area of discomfort to determine how best to address the issue. They can advise you on safe application of heat or ice to reduce pain and teach you appropriate stretches, strength and stabilization exercises to help reduce or eliminate your symptoms.
Finally, if you have already given birth, whether vaginally or by cesarean section, your body has been through quite a lot of physical trauma. Many women don’t know that a postpartum evaluation by a physical therapist can help address pelvic floor and musculoskeletal issues like a diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles) or pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, early. A good PT program will help you recover from childbirth and pregnancy so you can enjoy taking care of your baby and getting back to the activities you love to do.
Let’s not forget about the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor and pelvic organs are star players in pregnancy and childbirth. They are asked to work harder than normal during this time and often need extra care. Issues of bladder or bowel leakage, incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, or pain during sexual intercourse can occur during pregnancy and after childbirth and it is important that women know there is help out there for these conditions. A specially-trained pelvic floor physical therapist can teach you strategies, good habits, and exercises to decrease the likelihood of developing these conditions and when necessary, can help to treat them after they’ve developed.
So no matter where you are on your pregnancy journey, it is a great idea to involve a physical therapist. Addressing problems early on and preventing new ones from developing can help you to have an enjoyable pregnancy and recovery after childbirth. Specially-trained PTs at Evolve are waiting to join you on this journey!
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About EvolveNY-
Brooklyn's Premier Holistic Physical Therapy Clinics- There’s physical therapy, there’s training, and then there’s EVOLVE. We use the science of biomechanics merged with fitness to help our patients get better and stay better! First we evaluate, then we heal, then we strengthen our clients so they can reach their goals, feel better, and live happier lives. We do so by utilizing a range of core techniques and specialized treatments to reduce pain, improve mobility, enhance physical strength and deal with the underlying issues, not just the pain itself.
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