Pregnant and postpartum lower back pain relief now! Five great stretches to alleviate lower back pain and increase core strength during and after your pregnancy. Presented by a doctor of physical therapy with simple-to-follow instruction.
PREGNANT BACK AND NECK PAIN RELIEF STRETCHES: BODY POSTPARTUM WORKOUT: DIASTASIS RECTI CHALLENGE: TUMMY WORKOUT: of the most common conditions that I treat as a physical therapist is lower back pain. This can be especially common in the pregnant as well as recently delivered population. If you are experiencing lower back pain during your pregnancy or since you delivered your child there are important stretches and exercises you should be doing that can help your pain. You’ve found some of them in this video!
**Please keep in mind that you should get your doctor’s clearance from your doctor before starting this or any exercise program while pregnant or after delivering.**
It is important to note that pain in your lower back is a symptom and not a diagnosis. That means that while you may be experiencing pain in your lower back, that in and of itself says nothing about what is actually causing the pain itself. In order to treat your pain effectively, you must identify and treat the cause.
In the majority of cases, lower back pain in pregnant and postpartum women is caused by one (or both) of two factors:
1. DECREASED CORE STRENGTH: Sometimes I refer to pregnancy as a “nine-month injury”. Your core muscles get stretched and pulled and weaken over time. They are no longer in the best condition to support your back and help you move throughout your day like they should.
2. DECREASED MOBILITY: Let’s be honest - during your third trimester you’re probably not as limber and mobile as you were when you weren’t pregnant. Oftentimes this lack of motion and mobility can cause feelings of “tightness” in your lower back that need to be stretched and mobilized the right way.
The following 5 exercises (presented in the video above) are some of my favorite home exercises that I give pregnant and postpartum women on a daily basis to help them stretch the back and hips and strengthen their core.
These exercises can be an effective means of eliminating lower back pain in pregnant and postpartum women and I hope they work to help you, too!
SINGLE KNEE TO CHEST STRETCH (2:55): great for the hips and lower back - especially good for the “swayback” increased lower back curve common in the third trimester.
2. LUMBAR ROTATION STRETCH (3:38): mobilize your hips and lower back with this effective stretch.
3. POSTERIOR TILT WITH ABDOMINAL BRACE (4:25): my foundational exercise for every pregnant and postpartum woman that I see. Restoring this mobility and muscle control is crucial in pregnancy and recovery.
4. BRIDGES (7:10): my favorite home exercise to activate the glutes and lower back extensors which don’t otherwise get much attention.
5. CLAMSHELLS (8:04): working the deep hip rotators can be an effective means of stabilizing the pelvis and lower back - a common area of weakness in pregnancy and postpartum women.
There you have them! 5 of my favorite exercises to decrease lower back pain in pregnant and postpartum women. Performing these regularly can help you to increase core strength to stabilize your spine and increase mobility to help you move your spine without pain.
I hope you enjoyed these exercises and this video and I hope these tips help you out. If you did find them effective please do me a favor and hit the “thumbs up button” above. Also be sure to “share” with a friend who may need this advice by pushing the “share” button above.
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