🤰Low Back Pain During Pregnancy Is A Bitch: Myth #1
Pregnancy is a wild time. You're growing a human while still trying to live your day to day life. Each new day has it's up and downs and sometimes the anticipation every morning when you wake up trying to figure out what kind of day you are going to have is daunting.
Not only is this mental toll hard, your body is changing rapidly, especially during the second and third trimesters. Due to these changes, low back pain can occur, but I want to talk about back pain a little bit differently.
Let's approach this discussion on low back pain during pregnancy through the mythical lens. These are all of the things that many medical practitioners would tell you, without understanding what the evidence actually says, that can actually be harmful to you. And hey, we can't throw stones at these providers. Health care right now is hard and everyone is doing the best they can with what they have... at least that's what I tell myself 🤪.
You may feel some challenges or biases come up if you haven't heard these statements before. It is ok to challenge your mindset and look at various perspectives. You are always welcome to reply to this email if you have questions or concerns!
​Myth #1: I've had a "bad back" for so many years, even prior to pregnancy, so there is nothing I can do to feel better now.
Things to ponder:
What does a "bad back" mean to you?
Using this definition can help reframe the problem to create freedom to change.
Have you had imaging that suggests changes in your back and your medical provider didn't explain further?
Unfortunately, imaging only gives us a small window to look into your body and it has been shown to make health outcomes worse. If a medical provider gave you a diagnosis such as herniated disc, degenerative joint disease, or stenosis but didn't explain it further, please reach out to someone who can help you!
Do you have a history of low back pain in your family so genetically you have a "bad back"?
This can be a thing so I'm not going to knock it. I do want to challenge you to think about how that statement has affected you and your family. Have women in your family been able to carry a pregnancy to term even with a "bad back"? What was life like for them during and after pregnancy? Could we work together to find a common ground where we can acknowledge your genetics AND find a solution?
Do you believe that more pain means there is more tissue damage?
So the extra weight and the postural changes happening in your body during pregnancy CAN put more pressure on places that just dosn't feel good. Please know that this does not mean tissue damage is happening.
I wish our bodies were like cars where if a part was showing damage or wear and tear you could just change it out and not have pain anymore. Unfortunately, that's not how the majority of pain works. We can have pain without any tissue damage and we can have no pain and have tissue damage.
Do you fear that your spine is weak?
If our spines were so fragile, then carrying a baby to full term would not even be possible. Trust me, your spine is resilient and damn strong!
