The body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. A growing belly combined with (as pregnancy progresses) decreased physical exercise place biomechanical strains on a mothers back and pelvis.
Pregnant women can experience:
1. Pelvic misalignment – which can alter the pelvic opening, leading to intrauterine constraint.
2. A modified, widening of the gait – which can potentially aggravate pelvic joints, hip joints, the lower back, sciatic nerves and the supporting uterine ligaments.
3. Expansion of the lower rib cage – which can lead to. aggravation and tightening of the mid back joints that connect to ribs.
4. A shifting of the centre of gravity forwards – which places extra pressure on the lower spinal joints.
5. Increased breast size – which adds increased strain on the mid to upper back.
6. The release of the hormone relaxin – which increases joint mobility (a good thing for the birthing process) but decreases joint stability (can aggravate previous joint injuries and amplifies pelvic imbalances).
- Back pain and pelvic pain
- Sciatic pain
- Pain in the tailbone region
- Pain in the groin
