Pregnancy Week by Week

Lower back pain during pregnancy is commonly reported by women who are expecting a baby. Often it is the first sign that the woman has become pregnant. If a woman goes to her health care provider because she is experiencing pains in her back and she has not been injured and there is not an obvious explanation the health care provider will usually order a pregnancy test. This pain is usually in the lower regions of the back called the lumbar region. The pain may be mild or intense, may throb, or may ache. The pain will usually present when the woman is rising from a chair or bed, sitting or lying down, or moving from a squatting position to a standing one.

As a general rule, lower back pain during pregnancy is not a serious condition and there are ways to relieve the discomfort. You probably will not be able to prevent the it altogether because it is a pretty standard part of being pregnant. You should first consult with the doctor who is presiding over your care while you are pregnant before you do measures to control the pain. You will need to know that there are not any identifiable reasons for it and no underlying cause. If you physician indicates that it is pregnancy related and there are not serious causes then you can discuss methods to get relief.

One of the ways to get relief is to go to a chiropractor or to a masseuse who have methods to help you get rid or live with the pain. You can learn how to do pelvic tilt exercises, you can swim and you can walk. All these are designed to keep your back strong. The woman will need to take a different approach to sitting and rising from a chair and lying down and arising from bed. She should not remain in any position for long a length of time. When she is going to be on her feet she should make sure that her shoes are comfortable and provide support. Under no circumstances should the woman who is pregnant pick up things that weigh a lot. For best relief, do not sleep on your back so that you can help keep lower back pain during pregnancy at a minimum.

There is not an exact cause for this discomfort in the lower lumbar during the gestational period. One of the first considerations is the amount of weight that the woman will gain. The lower area of the back is the part of the body that will support the extra weight. The extra pounds put pressure on the joints and muscles. Also, there are changes in hormones that occur when the woman becomes pregnant. This can cause pain in the lower lumbar region. The hormones trigger the ligaments and the joints to become loose to facilitate the birth of the baby. This will be a cause of the discomfort experienced during the pregnancy. If you think that the pain may be because you have kidney issues, you should see your health care provider. Lower back pain during pregnancy that is accompanied by abdominal pain and urination difficulties are a reason to seek help from your health care provider immediately.