Lower Back Pain after Pregnancy

If you are planning on having a baby or have just had a baby you need to learn more about lower back pain. If you have not yet had a baby or are not yet pregnant you should find out what you can do to prevent lower back pain after your pregnancy. If you have had a baby recently and are experiencing lower back pain there are many things you can do to alleviate your pain. If you are currently experiencing severe pain, you need to see your doctor. You may be referred to a physical therapist or to a chiropractor. Do not attempt to do any exercises mentioned in this article if you are in acute pain.

Strengthening of abdominal muscles

If you are planning on becoming pregnant one of the best things you can do for your body is to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Many lower back pain problems can be traced back to weak abdominal muscles. Therefore if you work on strengthening them before you become pregnant it will be easier to get them back into shape after your pregnancy. This may very well prevent any lower back problems for you after your pregnancy. Some good abdominal strengthening exercises are both bicycle movement that you do while laying on the floor and crunches on an exercise ball. Crunches on an exercise ball are more effective than traditional crunches on the floor.

Exercise during pregnancy

During pregnancy there are still some abdominal exercises you can do without harming your self or the baby. These exercises usually consist of side crunches, reverse crunches and modified crunches. The modified crunches are done with pillows stacked up behind you so you are not laying flat on the floor. Doing abdominal exercises during pregnancy will help to keep your muscles toned and take the stress off your lower back.

Exercise after childbirth

Once you have had your baby you can go back to doing normal abdominal exercises as per your doctor’s instructions. Many women are concerned about what abdominal exercises they can do if they have had a cesarean section. As long as your doctor approves, there are many exercises you can do even if you have had C-section. These exercises will consist of the isometric abdominal contractions, isometric gluteal contractions and Kegel exercises.

If soon after giving birth you need to sit on a chair for a longer time, make it easier for yourself by placing a medical seat pad on the chair.