Back pain after childbirth - why and what to do?

With the onset of pregnancy in the female body there is a global restructuring aimed at the successful bearing and birth of a healthy child. There is a change in the level of hormones. The uterus, increasing in size, puts pressure on the internal organs. The bones are also preparing for delivery - they become softer, the bones of the small pelvis expand. These factors affect the lower back and back muscles. It is for this reason that women who become mothers suffer from discomfort, and sometimes quite painful sensations in this area.

It should take care of their health, as well as perform special exercises, then the recovery process will be faster.

Causes of back pain after childbirth

Provocative factors, due to which the new mother has a backache, can be many.Most of them are associated with natural restructuring in the period of childbearing and preparation for his birth. In addition, it affects the lifestyle that a woman led before and after the birth of the baby. However, the appearance of painful sensations in the back is not rare due to pathological causes.

Physiological factors

Increased progesterone production, which occurs during pregnancy, has an effect on the condition of the ligaments and cartilage, as a result of which they become softer. This is necessary for the free divergence of bones and the safe and smooth passage of the child through the birth canal. It happens that as a result of this, “sinking” of the vertebrae occurs even in the period of carrying a child, which leads to pinching of the nerve endings. When the bones begin to converge back, and the cartilage tissue is restored, it takes quite a long time. In this case, the process is accompanied by discomfort, and sometimes severe pain.

In addition, there are other causes of back pain after childbirth. These include the following:

1. It is considered normal weight gain for the entire period of pregnancy from 10 to 13 kilograms. This is a fairly large weight gain for several months.There is a stretching of the muscles of the abdomen and back, the spine is exposed to increased stress. After the birth of the child, the slow recovery of muscles begins, the spine returns to its usual position, due to which the discomfortable sensations pass.
2. Changing the posture of a pregnant woman. The future mother, when walking, deviates backwards, due to which the back muscles and lower back muscles are constantly in a tense state. This is the cause of pain in this area of ​​the body.
3. Directly during childbirth there is a significant separation of the pelvic bones, otherwise the baby will not be able to pass through the birth canal. Recovery is not so fast, during this process often occurs pain syndrome.
4. After the pregnancy is completed, the load on the spine is again distributed differently, and this happens abruptly. In the process of getting used to the new position, the spine and the back muscles are in tension, which causes back pain.
5. A fairly common cause of pain is constipation, often accompanying newly-mothers. When the stools return to normal, the discomfort in the back will disappear.

After one or two months after the birth of the child, the recovery process of the female body is completed, the joints take up their usual place, the condition of the ligaments and muscles is normalized, and with time the back stops hurting. At this time, it is important to pay attention to your own posture, avoid back strain. At the first signs of the emergence of discomfort that threatens to turn into severe pain, it is recommended to postpone all affairs and arrange a rest.

Pathological factors

When a new mother gets a backache, it is highly undesirable to wait for them to disappear on their own. You should go to the doctor who will help determine what caused the pain. In some cases, this condition is triggered by the presence of certain diseases, including:

1. Damage to the spine, which was received before the onset of pregnancy and did not make itself felt for a long time. Often, exacerbations occur after childbirth.
2. Displacement of the vertebrae in the process of delivery, pinching of the nerves, squeezing of blood vessels.
3. The presence of intervertebral hernia.
4. Aggravated diseases (osteochondrosis, scoliosis), which is provoked by the process of giving birth to a child.
5. Exacerbation of kidney pathologies.
6. Inflammatory process in the lumbar spine.
7. Use of pain relief (epidural anesthesia).
8. Other diseases: urinary tract, intestines, accompanied by pain in the lumbar region.

It is not so rare that the pain in this part of the body is the result of psychosomatic disorders that occur after a woman becomes a mother. Such a fairly common phenomenon, as postpartum depression, affects the state of her entire body, and in particular the occurrence of back pain. In this situation, you will need to consult a psychologist.

Back pain treatment

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to take into account that various medications in the form of ointments or tablets give only a short-term result, reducing pain syndrome for a short time, but without removing the provoking factor. This means that the pain will reappear when the medication is complete. In addition, many drugs are prohibited from breastfeeding.

If back pain is not caused by a disease, then therapeutic measures should be directed first of all to quickly restore the musculoskeletal system.

Women who recently became mothers are advised to wear a special corset that will help the back muscles, so that they will quickly take the necessary position.

To strengthen and restore muscle should perform therapeutic exercises. Moreover, it is recommended to do this during the whole pregnancy and a couple of months after giving birth as a preventive measure against back pain.

To relieve pain, the doctor may give the direction to a newly-made mother for massage and physiotherapeutic procedures. Such activities contribute to the restoration of blood supply and strengthen muscles, as a result, the spine quickly takes the necessary position.

Special applicators that can be purchased at the pharmacy will be good assistants in combating discomfort in the lower back. Such tools improve blood circulation in the tissues.

Prevention

Preventive measures should be carried out even in the process of carrying a child.Already in this period it is necessary to do exercises that strengthen the muscles of the back. It is necessary to avoid excessive weight gain, if necessary - follow the diet recommended by the doctor.

In the last months of pregnancy, overvoltage needs to be avoided, since during this period the body prepares for childbirth, the vertebrae are likely to “squander” or nerve pinched.

When a woman becomes a mother, she should follow a few simple recommendations to prevent the occurrence of complications:

1. Lifting heavy objects should be avoided. This should be done from a sitting position, it is to ensure the correct distribution of the load.
2. When caring for a baby, you need to take care of your own back. It is necessary that the baby’s bed, bath, and changing table be adjusted to the height of the mother so that she does not have to constantly bend over.
3. It is recommended to sleep on a hard mattress - this will be the best solution for keeping your back in a healthy state.
4. We must not forget that the more extra pounds, the greater the load is experiencing the spine. Therefore, it is desirable to get rid of excess weight, which was recruited during childbirth. In this young mother will help competently chosen diet.
5. When feeding a child (regardless of the type of feeding - breast or artificial), you need to choose a comfortable position in which the back will not get tired and subjected to unnecessary loads. A good option would be a soft chair. Most mothers say that if you feed your baby in a supine position, there is almost never any discomfort.
6. Both for the woman, and for the child a lot of benefits will be brought by staying in the open air. In addition, the movement will bring muscles in tone, help them recover faster. It is not necessary that it was running. A leisurely walk will reduce stress and charge a good mood.

For back pain, you need to analyze your lifestyle and, if necessary, make adjustments to it. Be sure to monitor your posture. It is urgent to get rid of the habit formed during the period of carrying a child to bulge the belly forward. The deflection of the spine leads to the fact that the back muscles, and without it having been subjected to a heavy load, experience overstrain, as a result, this part of the body begins to ache. In addition, there may be serious complications in the form of a curved spine,displaced vertebrae, hernia formation.

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