Simple ways to manage normal pregnancy-related back pain

If you are having trouble managing pregnancy-related back pain, you are not alone. Having been a former pregnant person twice, I can tell you that the aches and pains pregnant people undergo for months are no joke. Your body undergoes large-scale changes to accommodate the growing baby. There are a lot of unseen changes to your body as well, including hormones, blood flow, and growing a whole new organ called the placenta. All of this lead to a number of aches and pains, including prenatal or pregnancy-related back pain. For most people, after they have checked with their doctor that the pain is normal, the advice for managing pain while pregnant does not include medication. With that in mind, we put together some tips to help.

Tips for managing pregnancy-related back pain

Seek out safe pain-modifying activities, such as massage therapy, and acupuncture (we love Theresa Costigan Acupuncture). Both of these are generally safe for pregnant people. Even though you are under a doctor’s care while pregnant, it is always good to check to make sure this applies to you. It is also wise to choose massage providers that have experience in pregnancy-related back pain.

Use moderate local heat or cold. Generally, your doctor will tell you to avoid saunas, hot tubes, and hot baths as they all affect blood flow and blood pressure, but for the most part, local applications are fine and can be used to help ease aches in pains. In fact, in our massages, it is very normal for us to use cold compresses on the feet and a warm towel on the neck to help ease aches and pains. Pregnant women might enjoy a cold cloth on the forehead, wrists, feet, lower back, or sinuses. Heat might feel good on the upper back, neck, feet, or hips.

Move! It may feel like the last thing you want to do but moving is good for you and can be a natural analgesic. Walks, swimming, and yoga are typically recommended for pregnant women experiencing pregnancy-related back pain, but many women stick with their normal running, lifting, and other exercise programs. If in doubt, please check with your medical provider, as not all may apply to you.

Meditate or breathe. Stress levels are indirectly tied to your perception of pain. Often you can meditate and help reduce muscle tone by relaxing through a meditation practice. There is no need to become an expert, sitting pillowed and spending 2-5 minutes calming your breath can work wonders.

Self-massage or partner massage. Pain can be daily, and let’s face it, we cannot all go to the massage therapist every day. Do ask your prenatal massage therapist to show you how to perform safe self-massage with a ball or roller during your massage session. You can also ask your partner to massage you. They should use moderate pressure (ie it should not hurt) and they should avoid sensitive areas such as the sacrum, belly, and front of the neck since they do not know what they are doing.

We always advise that when in doubt, please check with your doctor. Many people think that they need to suffer back pain when they do not. Help is available, check with your team to find out which options are right for you at what stage of pregnancy.

next post: