Why Does My Back Ache in Pregnancy?

So, today’s topic is all about the postural changes that occur in a pregnant person’s body.  I’ve listed some of the main anatomical changes that occur below to help you understand why you may be suffering with stiff shoulders, neck strain and constant back pain.

Welcome to pregnancy…or not!

There’s so much that can be done to minimize or eliminate these aches and pains.  The answer may not be exercise, but it may be a combination of complimentary therapies.

It’s one of my greatest passions—providing really amazing referrals to practitioners and therapies that I trust to help you maintain comfort and activity throughout pregnancy and into postpartum.

So, ask away!  I will gladly point you in the right direction.  Or, simply visit my Resources Page for local practitioners.

So, let’s get to it…what’s happening in the pregnant body anyway?

ROUNDED SHOULDERS

As you well know, it’s not just your bump that grows, it’s also your breasts.  And, wow, do they get heavy!  As you start to carry more weight in this area, your shoulders are forced to come forwards to accommodate.  At the same time, the upper back muscles, particularly those in between your shoulder blades become weak and lengthened, forcing the shoulder blades to separate.

It’s no wonder your neck and shoulders become a constant strain, is it?!

INCREASED LOWER BACK CURVE

To accommodate baby bump at your front, your pelvis actually tips forward and your lower back becomes more and more arched.  This means that your hip bones at the front travel further forwards, and your tailbone travels further backwards, creating an anterior, or forward pelvic tilt.

Everyone has a natural curve in their lumbar spine (lower back), but, it becomes even more pronounced in pregnant women.  Muscles which become affected to create this curve in your lower back are the hip flexors which are just below your hip bones.  These muscles become tighter; the gluteals (your bottom) becomes weakened/lengthened as your backside protrudes backwards; your abdominals stretch (and sometimes) separate, and your back extensors become tighter.

Yikes!  This goes a long way to explaining why pregnant women suffer with back, hip and pelvic problems, and it’s no wonder really, with the weight of your baby bump that you’re now carrying at your front.

CENTER OF GRAVITY CHANGES

Another postural change has to do with your center of gravity.  Ordinarily, when a non-pregnant person stands profile view, you can easily draw a straight line from their ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle joint.  When a heavily pregnant person stands side-on, the line is no longer in the same place, because your bump protrudes forwards, causing you to feel “front-heavy”.

The closer you get to your due date, the more that central gravity line travels forwards and away from your ear, shoulder and pelvis.

Taking all of this into consideration, it’s really important that pregnant women are very careful when approaching certain situations i.e.: stepping down on to the floor, moving around in bed etc to protect certain joints, and it’s vital that correct posture is maintained when you’re exercising.

These are just some of the reasons why we place such an emphasis on proper alignment, core strength and stability and proper breathing patterns at Bodies for Birth.  Helping you to maintain comfort and activity is one of my greatest goals, and you need a strong foundation to combat all of the changes I’ve outlined above.

So, what do you think?  Has this helped?  Does it make sense?

I hope this post brings a bit more clarity to how and why these changes are occurring.

With added awareness, you can support these changes as your body goes through one of the most amazing evolutions possible!

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Join us for One-on-One Training and Group Classes where we focus on modifying for all of these structural changes and more!

Wouldn’t it feel good to know that you are training your pregnant body in the most supportive and beneficial ways?!

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