Postpartum Low Back Pain: What causes it and tips on how to find relief.
Did you know one of the biggest complaints moms have after birth is back pain? In fact, Research shows that almost 75% of women report having low back pain after delivery. A large amount of moms continue to feel back pain even a decade after birth.
Back pain while pregnant is very common. With a growing belly, hormones, and lots of changes, it makes sense.
But why is back pain in moms so common after pregnancy?
There can be several reasons. Before we dive into it, it’s important to realize that, like with many aches and pains, it’s essential not just to treat the symptoms, but also to address the root causes. The entire body is interconnected. We want to relieve the pain, but also find out what’s going on so we can stop it from happening again.
Here are some reasons you might suffer from low back pain (…even YEARS after your last baby)!
1) Hormones and spine/hip misalignment
Relaxin is a hormone that is produced when pregnant. The purpose is to loosen the joints of the hip to allow for more laxity when it’s time to deliver your baby. Relaxin doesn’t just affect the hips - all the joints of your body are affected, including your back. Depending on what you do and how you move in your daily life, these joints can become looser and more susceptible to shifting and misalignment. And if you’re breastfeeding, relaxin still circulates in your body.
Relief Tip: See a local chiropractor - especially one who specializes in pregnant and postpartum women! They are experts in body alignment and are (in our opinion) an essential member of your care team!
2) Weakened abdominal muscles and diastasis recti
As the baby and your uterus grow, your abdominal muscles get stretched out and weaken. Some, like the transverse abdominals, even “shut down” in later pregnancy. Diastasis recti is the resulting separation of the rectus abdominals (6-pack abs). These changes often cause other muscle groups (like the lower back, glutes, and hips) to take over because your body wants to maintain your center of gravity. When your lower back is trying to do the job it’s supposed to do (flexion of the spine, rotation, and support of the core and upper body) while ALSO taking over for weakened core muscles, it’s no surprise your back is going to “speak up” with pain and achiness!
Relief Tip: Working on your core properly and learning to connect with your pelvic floor (see why below) will make all the difference in low back pain.
3) Poor posture and body mechanics
Weakened muscles, unrealized pregnancy habits and posture, and a lack of daily body awareness can all contribute to low back pain. As a society, we also do a lot of sitting and lack movement overall. Moms are also always in a constant state of flexion - bending over to pick up toys, to feed baby, at a computer, etc.
Relief Tip: Become more aware of your daily posture habits. Pay attention to how you sit, stand, walk, jump, and run. Think about how you lift and load heavy objects or bend over and pick up your kids. Support yourself when you feed your baby (breast or bottle). Think tall! This includes how move as you workout too!
Aligning your ribs over your hips and engaging your core will make a night and day difference with your back, but it all comes down to paying attention. This is something we specialize in at Fit MOM! Our Physical Mom-Fidence Course breaks down the importance of posture and the how-to, along with many other amazing detailed course materials for moms.
Gentle stretching helps too!
Take a look at 5 great stretches and myofascial release ideas that could provide some great back pain relief! Check it out here!
4) Pressure management aka breathing
Breathing is something we do every day but isn’t something we often think about. Believe it or not, how you manage your breathing affects your lower back. When we breathe, we create pressure. That pressure needs to go somewhere. Often times, dysfunctional breathing patterns can put extra pressure on to your pelvic floor, causing issues like leaking, worsened diastasis, or prolapse. And as we just learned, the pelvic floor is often interconnected with the low back.
Relief Tip: Learning to manage our internal pressure using diaphragmatic breathing patterns and becoming more aware of breath, especially when we lift heavy things, can help relieve back pain!
5) Pelvic floor dysfunction
The pelvic floor is an underrated area of the body. The truth is the pelvic floor is part of your core (just like your back is) and is literally a part of your pelvis – holding the top and bottom of your body together. If it’s not functioning well, this will often trigger the other areas to experience dysfunction and pain – including the low back!
Relief Tip: Seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist is an excellent idea for both pregnant and postpartum moms. Even if you are years after your last delivery, seeing a specialist like this can help you understand why you may be experiencing pelvic floor issues (like leaking, prolapse, painful sex, low back pain, pelvic pain, etc) and how it can relate to low back pain and more.
6) Breast tissue and extra body weight
Even if you gained a healthy amount of pregnancy weight, the extra lbs can put more strain and stress on your joints – including your back. Heavy breast tissue does that same thing.
Relief Tip: Over time, your breast tissue will lessen and become more manageable. Wearing a supportive nursing bra will help. When it comes to weight, losing it takes time, there isn’t a way around it. But with consistency and the right mindset, you’ll be on your way. This is something we can help with!
7) C-section scar tissue
That’s right. If you had a c-section, your scar tissue may be part of why you are experiencing back pain. A C-section is a major surgery that cuts through several layers of tissues. The resulting scar in those muscles and skin binds together, not allowing the tissues to slide back and forth but instead stick together. Even though the scar is in the front, the adhesion pulls and can inhibit the proper function of the core and back.
Relief Tip: This is why scar massage and tissue mobility are important to start after a c-section. Breaking up these adhesions and getting the tissues moving again can be a big part of feeling low back relief.
There’s a lot here - where to start?
Start with paying attention to your posture in daily life and in your workouts and learn to manage your internal pressure through proper breathing techniques. If you start there, you may find relief not just in your back - but in many areas of your body as well! If low back pain keeps you from moving forward, this is a great place to start.
We hope you find the relief you’re looking for. If you are really stumped about your back pain, we highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist or meeting your physician to discuss your needs.
Are you pregnant? Prevent or at least lessen low back pain before baby arrives!
In our Prepared 4 Postpartum class series, we discuss these common aches and pains and dive deeper into the symptoms. We empower you with knowledge so you can address common postpartum pains and issues BEFORE they even begin. Learn more here.
