Pregnacy Related Back Pain

And How You May Be Able To Ease or Eradicate It!

Pregnancy should be a time of great joy with a new life developing and soon to come into the world and this is indeed the case… sometimes. However, back and pelvic pain are common in pregnancy and tend to increase as pregnancy advances. It interferes with ordinary daily activities such as carrying, cleaning, sitting and walking, prevents women from going to work and disturbs sleep. (1) (Please note, pain occurring in slightly different areas may be called by different names, for simplicity the term pregnancy related back pain is used here.)

Research from 2004 (2) tells us that around 45% of all pregnant women and 25% of women after giving birth suffer some form of back pain. Of all those pregnant mothers, 25% had severe pain and 8% had severe disability. Severe pain also featured in 7% of all the post-delivery patients.

In a systematic review of pregnancy related back pain conducted in 2008 (3), it was found that most pregnant women with low back pain recover a few weeks or months after delivery, but 8% to 10% continue to have pain for 1 to 2 years.

In other research from 2007 (4) very interestingly, it was found that post natal depressive symptoms were found to be 3 times more common in those women who had low back pain than those who did not. (9% of pregnant women without low back pain experienced depressive symptoms compared to 31% in the low back pain group.)

So clearly, many women may have a very challenging time during the pregnancy and even thereafter. Appropriate and effective care would seem to be important then to reduce pain and improve quality of life during this time.

In light of this it is quite curious that Vermani and co-workers (5) in their 2010 review of low back pain in pregnancy stated “Women are encouraged to believe that these conditions are temporary and self-limiting (which may not always be the case), and their complaints are dismissed as normal aches and pains of pregnancy.”

There are a number of factors that have been found to be strong predictors for pregnancy related low back pain. (2)(6) These are;

• previous history of low back pain
• previous trauma to the pelvic area
• strenuous work
• previous experience of pregnancy related low back pain

So if you or an expectant mother you know has experienced one or more of these risk factors, it may be wise to seek appropriate therapy early in the pregnancy to prevent the development of pregnancy related back pain or at least reduce the severity.

Tip: Before the pregnancy, physical fitness exercises are important as a number of studies have shown that they can reduce the risk of developing back pain in any subsequent pregnancy. (7)(8)

In 2008 a review (9) of six studies found that chiropractic care is associated with improved outcomes in pregnancy related low back pain. And there are many highly trained and skilled chiropractors who provide spinal manipulations or adjustments.

While some people are comfortable with manipulation or adjustments, there may be some who are less so. Fortunately, it is possible to have the benefits of chiropractic care without the manipulation or adjusting.

In 1997 a study of 2818 (10) people demonstrated a procedure that is very beneficial in easing pain, headaches, stiffness and fatigue. The procedure studied was Network Chiropractic. Network involves NO manipulation and NO adjustment of the joints. Rather, gentle, low force and highly specific contacts are used with the aim of reducing muscle tension and normalising alignment and contour of the spine. It is very relaxing and may make a significant improvement in back and other pain. This study was with the general population and not just pregnant women. However, clinical experience shows that Network may be very beneficial with pregnancy related back pain.

Note: As the pregnancy advances there may be some concern with laying on the stomach to receive care for the back. To overcome this issue, we use specifically designed cushioning that provides support and comfort so we have been able to help pregnant women up until the last week or two of their pregnancy.

If you are pregnant or have already delivered and are experiencing back pain and would like help easing your pain (even if you have already been treated with little or no improvement so far), please call us at 9585 0202 in the Cheltenham area or 9793 3755 in the Dandenong area.  If you’re concerned, you may want to make that call to us now. South Eastern Pain Relief Center, 16 Centre Dandenong Rd, Cheltenham, 9585 0202, or 185 Cleeland St, Dandenong, 9793 3755.

1. Wu WH, Meijer OG, Uegaki K, et al. Pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain (PGP), I: terminology, clinical presentation, and prevalence. Eur Spine J. 2004;13:575–589
2. Era Vermani, FRCA; Rajnish Mittal, FRCS; Andrew Weeks, MRCOG. Pelvic Girdle Pain and Low Back Pain in Pregnancy: A Review. Pain Practice, Volume 10, Issue 1, 2010 60–71
3. Gutke A, Josefsson A, Oberg B. Pelvic girdle pain and lumbar pain in relation to postpartum depressive symptoms. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2007 Jun 1;32(13):1430-6.
4. 16. Vleeming A, Albert HB, Ostgaard HC, Sturesson B, Stuge B. European guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic girdle pain. Eur Spine J. 2008;17:794–819.
5. Bastiaanssen JM, de Bie RA, Bastiaenen CH, Essed GG, van den Brandt PA. A historical perspective on pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic girdle pain. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2005;120:3–14.
6. . Ostgaard HC, Zetherstrom G, Roos-Hansson E, Svanberg B. Reduction of back and posterior pelvic pain in pregnancy. Spine. 1994;19:894–900.
7. Mogren IM. Previous physical activity decreases the risk of low back pain and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Scand J Public Health. 2005;33:300–306.
8. Pennick V, Young G. Interventions for preventing and treating pelvic and back pain
in pregnancy (Review). The Cochrane Library 2008, Issue 4
9. Stuber KJ, Smith DL. Chiropractic treatment of pregnancy-related low back pain: a systematic review of the evidence. J Manipulative Physiol Ther, Jul-Aug;31(6):447-54.
10. R. Blanks (Professor Dept of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of California Irvine), et. al. A retrospective assessment of Network care using a survey of self-rated health, wellness and quality of life. JVSR Vol 1. No 4. 1997, pg 15 – 30.