Lower Back Pain in Early Pregnancy

Lower back pain during pregnancy is very common in pregnant woman. It is generally located at and above the waist in the center of the back. It may or may not be concurrent with pain that radiates into your leg or foot.

Early pregnancy has its share of discomforts. Soon after you conceive, your body begins a series of major changes that enable it to sustain your baby through 37 weeks of growth and development. The glands of your endocrine system and placenta step up hormone production. Your blood volume increases and your uterus expands.

Causes of Lower back pain during pregnancy

At least 50 percent of women experience back pain during pregnancy. Pregnant women are prone to backaches and back pain for a number of reasons:

• Change in center of gravity - As your uterus grows, your center of gravity shifts forward. Gradually, and perhaps without notice, you begin to adjust your posture and the way you move. These compensations can lead to backaches and back pain.
• Extra weight - The weight you gain during pregnancy is good for your baby, but it can be bad for your back.
• Your hormones - During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin causes the ligaments between your pelvic bones to soften and your joints to loosen in preparation for your baby's passage through your pelvis during birth.
• As the structures that support your pelvic organs become more pliant, you may feel considerable discomfort on either side of your lower back, often with walking, especially up and down stairs.

Care and treatment for lower back pain in pregnancy

Back pain can occur at any time during pregnancy. For many women, it interferes with daily activities and the ability to get a good night's sleep. Following are some suggestions to help decrease your chance of suffering from back pain during your pregnancy.

1. Be proactive and get rid of back pain before you conceive. If you have a bad back, pay some attention to it before you become pregnant.
2. Seek appropriate treatment, learn correct exercises, and improve your aerobic conditioning. There are many reasons to get in better shape before pregnancy.
3. Stay active - regular exercise is your best friend. Simple cardiovascular exercise is one of the best means of decreasing the risk for back pain.
4. Back stretching and strengthening exercises help also, but aerobic exercise is best. Of course, pregnancy is not the time to begin a new exercise program. But if you have been active before, continuing to exercise while pregnant gives you many benefits.
5. If you are uncertain, ask your prenatal provider.
6. Don't be overactive - Your body is undergoing an amazing process that requires a lot of energy.
7. You will need to manage the demands on your time and physical activity. At some point, you cannot put out the same amount and intensity of effort for work, household chores, and recreation as you did before becoming pregnant.
8. Also, some things that may have had little effect on you before you were pregnant (like high heels, prolonged standing, and extended hours at a computer), can now result in significant discomfort.