Brian Kwon Acupuncture Most pregnant women experience back pain starting in the second half of a pregnancy. Some common reasons why pregnancy back pain happens are (1) Weight gain (2) Posture changes (3) Hormone changes (4) Muscle separation.
In addition, as women have to multi-task taking care of their baby and doing daily activities, it can create high stress, causing muscle tension in the back. This can be felt as back pain or back spasms.
The good news is that there are things you could do to mitigate the pain
- Exercise – allows muscles to strengthen and boost flexibility, which can ease the stress on your back. Some recommended exercises are walking, swimming, and stationary biking.
- Hot/cold pad – helps to reduce pain. Wrap a hot/cold pad in a towel to ensure it is not too cold nor hot. Apply the pad on the painful area for about 15 minutes. Do not apply the pad in the abdominal area.
- Good posture – reduces strains on your spine. For example, when standing, pull your hips forward and your shoulders back.
- Regular stretching – backward stretch or low-back stretch can strengthen your back muscle. If you are suffering from severe back pain during your pregnancy, acupuncture can be very effective.
If you are applying acupressure to relieve back pain in pregnancy, please avoid applying strong stimulation in the lower abdomen and sacral region
