Low back pain is very common during pregnancy due to various factors affecting your body in the child bearing year. However, you don’t need to put up with it, physiotherapy can assess, treat and manage your back pain though the pregnancy. Your body changes in preparation for childbirth with an increase in hormones designed to assist in the delivery of your baby. Unfortunately this, combined with altered posture and muscle control, can lead to low back pain.

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) and symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) are pains around the pelvis region related to pregnancy. The changes in your hormones which occur naturally during pregnancy can lead to an increased sensitivity to the structures around your pelvis. This, combined with the increasing size of your baby, can put extra pressure around the pelvic region which can lead to pain and dysfunction.

Rib pain can occur during and after pregnancy. Altered thoracic biomechanics as a result of pregnancy and posture can be a factor both ante and post-natally. A change in posture from feeding a new baby and the lifestyle changes which occur when becoming a mum can also contribute.

A growing bump can change your posture as you progress through pregnancy. The increased size and weight of the baby can change your low back posture which can make it more difficult for your pelvic muscles to control movement. Postnatal feeding positions can also lead to postural pain.