Back pain is of course the lot of many pregnant women. If they go away on their own after giving birth, there are still a few things that can help you get relief.
Move
It may seem paradoxical since when you have back pain, you only want to lie down and stay still, but moving helps relieve back pain. So try to do your 30 minutes of physical activity daily, even if it means doing 3 times 10 minutes a day if your pain is particularly intense.
Yoga and Pilates
The positions held during prenatal yoga are excellent for relieving back pain! In fact, doing one yoga session a week will help you feel better on many levels. Prenatal Pilates also helps prevent and relieve back pain during pregnancy. And if you like these two disciplines, they will be beneficial to you after your delivery to regain suppleness and flexibility.
Swimming
Swimming, a gentle and non-impact sport, is also a good remedy for back pain. It allows you to move and stretch without hurting yourself. Additionally, if you choosefor aqua fitness classes specially designed for pregnant women, you will be taught a few moves that will do you a world of good!
Raised legs
When you are lying down, at nap time or watching TV, for example, get into the habit of elevating your legs with cushions or pillows. This position will allow better blood circulation while taking pressure off your back muscles.
Give yourself breaks
If you sit at a desk all day, consider taking at least one break every hour to properly stretch your back. Get up, walk, stretch if you can, and above all give particular importance to your sitting position so that it does not increase your discomfort.
Stretching
Do like a cat! When you feel particularly tight in your back, stretching exercises are ideal. For example, get on all fours on the ground and arch your back, breathing deeply. Then return to a neutral position. You can repeat this gentle exercise several times: it allows your spine to stretch well.
Sit on a chair (back straight, back not arched) and stretch both arms above your head. Cross your fingers, turn your palms up and push your hands out as you exhale.
You will find more exercise and stretching ideas in this video.
Lie down byearth
Lying on the floor on a hard surface, without a pillow, could also relieve you. Lie down on the floor, taking care to bend your legs to bridge the natural curvature of your back. You have to press your lower back firmly against the floor, then relax.
Have good posture
Having poor posture on a daily basis may well make your back pain worse. Also, we try to avoid (too) big handbags that weigh heavily on one shoulder and we try as much as possible to balance the weight of our loads when carrying packages or bags. Work to keep your back straight, even when you have to bend over, by trying to bend your knees well and strain your legs instead of your back.
Limit sudden movements
It is recommended to get up in two stages when you go from lying down to standing up: you first lie down on your side, before raising your chest and then bringing your feet back to the ground. And when you put on your shoes, you lean on a support to avoid leaning over completely.
Get some accessories
Do you already have your nursing pillow handy? Great! At night, place it between your legs and lie on your side; this will have the effect of calming your lumbar tensions. Moreover, placing a firm pillow between your knees, lying on your side, is ideal at all times, and once you have experienced this comfort you will not be able to do without it!
You might also askyour osteopath to recommend a support belt.
Massage
By far, our favorite remedy: massage! Indeed, the massage “restores mobility, rebalances the biomechanics of the body at the level of the muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments. Not to mention that massage helps to undo tension and treat certain chronic pathologies,” confided to us Karine Lagueux, masso-kinesitherapist. It's also very, very nice!
Talk to your doctor
Nothing helps? Have you considered chiropractic? To acupuncture? To osteopathy? You can of course fall back, on occasion, on acetaminophen (Tylenol) for relief, but don't forget to talk to your doctor about your ailments during your follow-up appointment pregnancy: he will advise you according to your general condition.
