Upper Back Pain during Pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman has to face a number of discomforts and back pain is one of them. Back pain during pregnancy can be quite annoying at times. Lower back pain in early pregnancy is quite common. But in the later stage, when the uterus reaches its maximum size and attains a significant weight, pregnant women can suffer from upper back pain. This pain mostly occurs in the third trimester, which is characterized by drastic changes that take place to prepare the body for the delivery of the child or childbirth.

What Causes Upper Back Pain in Pregnancy?

The rising levels of pregnancy hormones relax and loosen the muscles and ligaments of the lower back and abdominal regions to accommodate the baby, thereby facilitating childbirth. On the other hand, the increasing weight of the uterus places more pressure on the ribs. During pregnancy, a woman can gain about 25% more weight and this additional weight puts more pressure on the muscles of the back. This in turn, can weaken these muscles, for which a woman can experience such a pain while pregnant.

The additional weight gained during pregnancy and the growing uterus shifts the center of gravity of the body to forward. As a result, the muscles of the back region have to work much harder to maintain the balance of the body. This too can strain the back muscles, as a result of which a pregnant woman can experience back pain. Another important cause could be the enlargement of the breasts. The increasing size and weight of the breasts during pregnancy can strain the ribs, neck and the back, besides pulling the shoulder down.

How to Relieve Upper Back Pain?

Upper, as well as lower back pain during pregnancy are quite common, but these can be managed to a great extent with some simple measures. Maintaining good body posture is one of the most important steps to prevent back pain in pregnancy. Pregnant women should always stand and sit at an upright position by keeping the back as straight as possible. However, they should not sit or stand in a single position for too long. Changing position at regular intervals is very important for relieving and preventing back pain during pregnancy.

If the feet are kept at a slightly elevated position while sitting, it can help a lot in reducing pain. Pregnant women should never cross the legs while sitting. Along with siting and standing with care, pregnant women need to maintain a proper sleeping position. Instead of sleeping on the back, they should sleep on the sides with one or both the knees slightly bent. This can help to relieve the pressure on the back muscles and reduce the pain. Pregnancy support pillows can also be used for this purpose, or you can just place one pillow between the knees and another under the abdomen. Pregnant women should strictly avoid lifting heavy objects. Even while lifting light objects, they should never bend at the waist.

There are several upper back pain exercises, and pregnant women can talk to their physician about these exercises. Physicians can give them a good idea about the pregnancy exercises that can be done for upper back pain relief. These exercises can strengthen the muscles of the back, and enable them to take that extra load more efficiently. For temporary back pain relief, cold or warm compress can be used. Cold and warm compress can be used alternately to get relief from back pain during pregnancy. Medications like, acetaminophen can also be taken for upper back pain relief, but only under the supervision of a physician or health care provider.

Apart from the preventive measures mentioned above, pregnant women should wear good supportive bra, and loose and comfortable clothing during this period. They should also opt for footwear that can provide good support in place of high-heeled shoes. Though back pain in pregnancy is quite common, it should not be taken lightly. Severe back pain needs to be properly evaluated and treated by consulting a physician.