While pregnancy is a special time, it is not without its challenges, Lower back pain during pregnancy affects approximately 50-80% of women. If you are suffering from back or pelvic pain in your pregnancy consider making an appointment with a pelvic health Physiotherapist.

Pregnancy physiotherapy is an effective treatment for painful symptoms such as  back pain, pelvic pain, bladder leakage, and much more.

This article will go over the various advantages of physiotherapy for pregnant women.

What is the Significance of Prenatal Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy employs movement science to promote healing and overall fitness. It consists of a variety of exercises, ergonomic and pain science education, use of machines, supports, cold and heat therapy for prevention and treatment of various soft tissue conditions. Pregnancy places significant changes to the muscles and joints particularly in the load bearing structures and the ribcage. This is due both to your growing baby, and the impact of hormones. It is not surprising that discomforts arise. A Physiotherapist with experience managing pregnant women can help you to enjoy a more comfortable pregnancy. 

The Importance of Physiotherapy for Pregnant Women

The changes to your hormones in pregnancy create greater elasticity in your connective tissue primarily to prepare your pelvic region for childbirth. The joints at the front and back of your pelvis (pubic symphysis joint and sacroiliac joints) may become sensitised and tender especially during single sided weight-bearing tasks. Often described in articles as “unstable” try and remember that your pelvic joints are designed to manage load in their boney structure and by the tissue support around them. Although they may feel “loose” and at times painful, they are still robust and not fragile. The temporary softening that occurs during the beginner and end stages of pregnancy can reverse quickly once you have your baby. However, pain does result in muscle inhibition and can limit your ability to exercise. This can lead to deconditioning over time. 

Physiotherapy during pregnancy can help you deal with the pain caused by the hormonal changes through the use of specific exercises, massages, and external supports. The targeted exercises not only help to reduce pain but also to maintain muscle strength.

What Problems Can Antenatal Physiotherapy Help With?

Pregnancy physiotherapy can help with the following issues:

• Upper back and ribcage pain
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Sciatica (pain that radiates from the lower back through the hips and buttocks to the leg)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (a condition that causes numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hand)
• Pelvic girdle pain (pain in the front and back of the pelvis)
• Bladder and bowel issues

What are the Advantages of Physiotherapy while Pregnant?

Pregnant women benefit from physiotherapy in a variety of ways. Physiotherapy has both long-term and short-term benefits in pregnancy. Among the many advantages are:

Lower Back Pain Relief 

During the early stages of your pregnancy, your body prepares to accommodate your child's growth. It is also continuing to prepare for delivery. Your ligaments stretch and soften in an attempt to help you along this journey. Simultaneously, as your child grows inside you, your size and weight increase. Because of the weight gain, your body's centre of gravity shifts and moves forward, putting additional strain on your lower back. Lower back pain can be relieved with physiotherapy and exercise during pregnancy.

Training Pelvic Floor Muscles 

It is well known that pregnancy causes you to urinate more frequently. You will have an increased circulating blood volume. This increased blood flow puts your kidneys to work and causes extra fluid to be released, resulting in increased urination. By the end of pregnancy your baby’s weight compresses the bladder, making it harder to store pre-pregnancy volumes. Urinary incontinence can sometimes be caused by increased weight and pressure on the pelvic floor muscles combined with greater stretch in your soft tissues. Incontinence is a very common pregnancy side effect. Physiotherapy can aid in the reduction of incontinence by strengthening muscles through pelvic floor exercises. Physiotherapists will also teach you how to relax and lengthen your pelvic floor muscles so that if you have a vaginal birth your muscles know how to lengthen for the pushing phase. This may reduce the length of second stage labour and need for instrumental intervention such as vacuum or forceps. 

Preparing for Labor and Delivery

Childbirth is a physically demanding event. Women are encouraged to stay physically active throughout pregnancy (unless advised by the doctor). A Physiotherapist can assist in planning and delivering safe exercise options and can provide modifications for conditions such as pelvic girdle pain, prolapse, abdominal muscle separation, so that you can remain active and prepared for birth and parenting.

Assisting with Pregnancy Posture Changes

As previously stated, the centre of your gravity may shift during pregnancy placing increased work on your lower back muscles. Widening of the ribcage and heavier breasts can cause rounding in your upper back and you can alter your breathing pattern to involve the neck muscles more. Physiotherapists can teach appropriate postural exercises to cope with the muscle imbalances that develop.

Relieving from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can occur in some pregnant women. It is a medical condition that causes numbness and tingling sensation in the hand. The increased volume of blood in your body during pregnancy can lead to nerve compression, particularly in the wrist area (because it is comparatively narrow). This nerve compression can cause numbness, pain and tingle in your hand. Physiotherapy can help with splinting and pain management.

Be In Blossom’s Available Antenatal Classes

Be In Blossom offers Pregnancy Pilates that focus on the following:

• Comprehensive pelvic floor training including both strengthening and relaxation strategies
• Deep abdominal training for back care and limiting abdominal muscle separation (diastasis)
• Additional core stability exercises using equipment such as fitballs and BOSU’s to enhance active support of joints to combat hormone-driven changes
• Targeted muscle toning and flexibility movements to correct or prevent muscle imbalances as your pregnancy advances

Education on:

• Labour positions and active birthing skills; birth choices;

• Skills for managing common pregnancy-related conditions eg. pelvic girdle pain, low back pain, rectus diastasis, rib pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, incontinence, prolapse, and post-natal recovery

Relaxation techniques complete each session:

• Including breath awareness, meditation, and mindfulness for labour and life!
• We use a combination of small apparatus including gym balls, chi balls, BOSU, resistance bands, Pilates circles, and free weights in addition to bodyweight exercise.

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We also have Pregnancy Circuit classes focus on the following:

• Resistance training designed to tone muscle groups such as the buttocks, thighs, upper back and back of the arms and shoulders.
• Resistance is provided with light weights, body weight or elasticised resistance-bands for preparation of birth and managing a baby.
• Moderate intensity cardio moves to improve or maintain fitness
• Emphasis on posture and techniques to effectively recruit your pelvic floor and deep abdominals in a coordinated pattern with your breathing
• Develop better awareness on how to limit abdominal muscle separation
• Careful programming to avoid jarring and twisting movements and repetitive single-sided loading to help prevent or manage pelvic girdle pain
• Pelvic floor strengthening

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