Article # 154. 10 Easy Tips to Relieving Pregnancy Neck & Back Pain

10 Easy Tips to Relieving Pregnancy Neck & Back Pain (for P..U)

Along with all the joys of pregnancy comes some not-so-joyous side effects like nausea, fatigue, and neck & back pain. There are people who tries as many natural avenues as they can before resorting to any type of medication and when you're expecting that list of "approved" medications is even smaller. If you're feeling tension and pain, here's a few natural things to try.

1. PRACTICE GOOD POSTURE.

Your mother always told you as you were growing up to straighten up your posture. It's never been more important than when you're pregnant. As you start to expand and gain weight, your entire balance shifts and you may find yourself pushing your lower back towards the front of your body to compensate. The problem with this is that it's causing all your back muscles to tense up which will cause more pain. When you sit up straight it gives your back muscles a chance to stretch and lengthen.

2. GET IN THE WATER.

Water supports your weight and relieves the stress on aching joints and your back. You can look into whether your hospital offers a water exercise class. Consult your doctor for further details.

3. VISIT A CHIROPRACTOR.

Try to find a chiropractor whose practice is limited to conservative treatment of back pain and other musculoskeletal problems. Ask your medical doctor for the names of any who fit this description and appear to be trustworthy. When you visit a chiropractor they adjust the joints in your body to be properly aligned. This relieves stress on both muscles and the nerves. Be sure that the one you choose is familiar with working on pregnant patients as the adjustments are a bit different then when not pregnant.

Never consult a chiropractor unless your problem has been diagnosed by a competent medical practitioner. Don't rely on a chiropractor for diagnosis. Although some chiropractors know enough to avoid diagnostic difficulty, there is no simple way for a consumer to determine who can do so. As an additional safeguard, ask any chiropractor who treats you to discuss your care with your medical doctor.

4. SIT COMFORTABLY.

When you plan to be on my computer for a while, always use a few pillows for support. Particularly use a pillow to support the lumbar, or lower region, of your back. Also take a few of the back cushions from your couch and either put one behind your head if you find your couch is behind the wall or put one or two to use as a footstool. When you keep your legs elevated and in a non stressful position it helps to not put unnecessary stress on your back.

5. PROPER SLEEP POSITIONS.

Try sleeping on your side supported by a body pillow or a pregnancy pillow. If you don't have either, you could use a couple of normal pillows but they are more of a hassle since they move as much as you do during the night. Also be sure that you have a nice, firm pillow for your head because you want to be sure your neck is aligned with your spine. If you try to use too many pillows though it can create an unnatural position in your neck and spine.

6. MATERNITY SUPPORT BELT.

These belts are durable and supportive elastic that wrap around hips and lower belly to support the lower abdominal muscles. These muscles are stretching to accommodate your growing belly and a support belt will not only help to relieve stress and pain to those muscles, but to your back as well. If a support belt isn't for you, try wearing maternity pants with a low, supportive waistband.

7. MASSAGE.

Your spouse can do wonders for your back pain if you can get them to rub it for you. It's especially effective after a nice hot shower because the heat will help to get your muscles relaxed and easier to work on them with a massage. If there isn't someone around to help you, you could either schedule a prenatal massage or you could try this trick by using a tennis ball. Okay, so if you don't have tennis balls around, you can try using a wool dryer ball and it will work great! Since you aren't supposed to lay on your back for a significant amount of time while pregnant, you can sit on either a firm backed couch or a wall. Place the soft ball between your back and the wall and while slowly moving, use your body weight to apply the desired amount of pressure.

8. WEAR THE RIGHT SHOES.

Heels will misalign your back, throw off your balance with your belly, and cause you to push your lower back forward like, as mentioned when talking about posture. Wearing high heels can also cause you to fall which is dangerous to both you and your unborn baby or even worse, cause you to almost fall which causes you to tense up in reaction and can cause more stress on back muscles than an actual fall could. On the other end of the spectrum, you should also refrain from wearing flip flops since there is no support in them.

9. ICE & HEAT.

Ice helps to reduce inflammation and swelling and also provides a numbing effect. You can also use heat which will get deep into tissues and help the muscles to relax. It will also increase circulation which can help to alleviate the pain but be sure to do it in moderation because if you apply heat for too long it can actually make the symptoms worse. Try heat with cold after. ;)

10. TRY A NECK EXERCISE.

This basic neck exercise is easy enough that you can do it anywhere.

Sitting up straight, turn head to left as far as you can and hold for 10-15 second. Return to center. Turn head to the right as far as you can and hold for 10-15 seconds before once again returning to center. Bring your chin to your chest, looking down, and hold 10-15 seconds. Be sure that you don't roll your neck in circles. You can actually cause more stress to your neck and can do damage to your upper spine.