Pain with Pregnancy is very common. While being pregnant is an exciting time for a woman, there are many changes happening to the body both physically and hormonally which can contribute to pain. Because of these changes during pregnancy, it can only be expected that many women will develop pain that they either did not have before or experience worsening symptoms with a pre-existing problem.
Common types of pain during pregnancy
The most common reports of pain during pregnancy are back pain, pelvic girdle pain (around the tail bone and buttock region), and hip pain.
Causes for the changes during pregnancy
All of these pains experienced during pregnancy can be explained by the rapid increase of oestrogen levels in the body, changes in posture, weight gain in pregnancy and change in weight distribution. All of these changes are a necessary part of a healthy pregnancy, but often contribute to the musculoskeletal pain experienced during pregnancy.
There is a sharp increase in oestrogen levels in the first trimester of pregnancy which continues to increase all the way through to the third trimester. The increased oestrogen levels in the body causes increased laxity of the connective tissue and soft tissues that help to provide support to our joints. This results in increased movement, stress and load through joints which can result in pain and discomfort. This combined with the body having to support increasing weight and changes in posture, and changes to weight distribution (the increasing load of the baby bump and enlarged breasts) can result in many uncomfortable days and nights!
Physiotherapy can significantly reduce the pain
The good news is that a lot of these pains can be minimised and significantly reduced with physiotherapy treatment. A combination of joint mobilisations, taping and support garments, exercise, postural retraining and activity modification can all help to dramatically reduce your pain during pregnancy. It is something that can be improved and will allow you to enjoy a positive pregnancy journey.