Back & Hip Pain During Pregnancy

By Megan Cornish, Pre/Post Natal Myotherapist

I would like to first and foremost start this blog by talking about the idea of pregnancy related musculoskeletal aches and pains being “a normal and common part of pregnancy”. And while that may be so for the majority of pregnant women, my biggest pet peeve is when prenatal ladies are told that their back and/or hip pain is “normal” and to basically deal with it til the baby comes out. No further pain management strategies or options are discussed, and mama's are left concerned and in pain without a plan, and that in my opinion is a disservice to all women!

I am writing this blog to solidify that just because these types of muscular aches and pains are frequent occurrences during pregnancy, you absolutely do not have to just ‘put up’ with the pain. Pain management strategies are definitely out there if needed - myotherapy being one of them - and I want ALL women to feel empowered to utilise these strategies as needed to feel the absolute best they can for the duration of their pregnancy. Please never feel that you need to just power on through pain.

For the purpose of this blog we will learn why muscle and joint pain is common during pregnancy particularly in the lower back and hip regions. We will also look into how myotherapy works to reduce and manage pain as well as other alternatives and options available to you.   

So why is it that the soft tissues of the lower back and hips get so sore?
The most common regions to get affected by musculoskeletal aches during pregnancy are hip joints and surrounding muscles and the lower back.  An element of the reason why this happens is going to be due to the growth of your baby throughout pregnancy and the pressure/added weight that this brings to the joints themselves. Wherever there is excess strain or pressure on our joints our muscles automatically guard to protect that joint - this will be the source of the pain.
Another element to why you might experience pain in these regions is going to be because muscle relaxant hormones become involved, these hormones - relaxin and progesterone - cause a softening of tendons and ligaments surrounding the pelvis/lower back to prepare your body for the physical act of giving birth. As a result of the increasing laxity of these joint stabilisers muscles again begin to guard to compensate and protect the joints.
 
How does myotherapy help to reduce and manage my pain? 
If you’ve had a massage or myotherapy treatment before you probably already know how amazing your body feels during and after the treatment. Its a very safe and effective way to manage and treat pain during pregnancy and works in a few ways to ease your discomfort. 
Massage releases muscular tension 
During your massage a few biomechanic functions are stimulated which is what is going to make the physical change to the musculoskeletal tissue as well as rewire the way your brain is processing the pain you are experiencing . Massage will release muscular tension by stimulating blood flow and increasing circulation to the muscle tissue. Endogenous opioids which are your “feel good” hormones also get released and therefore interrupt the pain cycle. The inflammatory response is our body’s healing response which is also triggered during the massage. 

Advanced Pain Relief Techniques
Advanced techniques like dry needling and cupping are mighty helpful during pregnancy, and when they are used by a Myotherapists who are well educated on pre natal care they can provide a great amount of relief. We can use techniques like dry needling for reaching deeper into your glute muscles without needing to be heavy handed, and this can be incredible when you have sciatic pain or that build up of pressure around your pelvis and sacrum.

Calm the CNS (Central Nervous System) 
Our central nervous system consists of our brain and spinal cord, this is how our body receives, responds and processes sensory information. During the massage sensory receptors carrying messages of sensation to the brain are calmed and therefore relaxing muscle tissue and reducing pain. 

Safely lay on your tummy!
We have excellent pregnancy therapy cushions that allow you to safely lay on your tummy and protect your growing bump and sensitive breasts. All our mama’s simply love to be able to spend some time supported and face down, plus its a great position for us to really effectively manage back, neck, shoulder and hip pain.

Taping your pelvis
Pressure and instability in the joints of the pelvis are some of the most common complaints, especially when baby is becoming big! Taping can help to offload some of the pressure around your pelvis, or to support it if you’re starting to feel a bit wobbly, pinchy or unstable. 


Are there any other available strategies that I can utilise? 
There are also other ways that pain in pregnancy can be managed as well, this could be any or a combination of the following. 

Yoga and Exercise 
Recent studies of the benefits of movement throughout pregnancy show positive effects on reducing and managing pain while pregnant as well as improved general overall health and wellbeing. Yoga and gentle stretching are great ways to ease muscular discomfort and exercise will work to increase blood flow and support healthy muscle tissue. 

Thermotherapy (Heat Therapy) 
This is an easy and accessible way to get relief from pain at home, warm baths and warm wheat bags are able to be utilised to address muscle pain as this allows for opening of blood vessels to increase blood flow to the soft tissues. However with this management strategy please note we want WARM but not HOT. It can be potentially dangerous for bubs if a mothers internal body raises too much which is why hot tubs and spas are not advised. If you are ever unsure about this strategy consult your treating practitioner before use.

Mindfulness and Meditation 
Mindfulness and Meditation exercises along with breath work are great techniques and strategies to use to manage pain. The body and mind are intertwined, especially when it comes to experiencing pain and discomfort. Studies have shown that a heightened nervous system can influence a person's overall experience of pain. By practising mindfulness and/or meditation your nervous system will relax and muscle tissue will follow, therefore decreasing pain.



Pain management strategies are out there and available to be used to treat and manage pain experienced during pregnancy.
Ladies! Please NEVER feel ashamed or hesitate when seeking these out.
As I mentioned earlier the biggest thing I would like you to take away from this blog is just because pain is a common and usual part of pregnancy, this does not mean you have to just power on through!

​Do you need help from a Myotherapist who has a great understanding about pre and post natal bodies? Thats me!! Book a time to see me for pregnancy care, I'm here 5 days a week. 
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Simple Wellness Myotherapy is located at Shop 12B/150 Kelletts Rd, Rowville VIC 3178. Additionally, you can contact us on (03) 8204 0970 to arrange an appointment today.