Postpartum Back Pain - a Mom's Guide to Postpartum Back Pain Relief

Back pain is just one of the side effects of delivering a baby. It is caused by months of changes in your body that weaken you abdominal muscles and that put your back muscles to the test. If you have recently given birth and are now experiencing postpartum back pain there are several things that you can do.

Body Massage

Body massage is a great way to help relieve the tension in your back muscles and to alleviate postpartum lower back pain. These massages can also help to stimulate circulation in your back which will aid in the repair of back muscles which may have been damaged by your pregnancy or your delivery. Finally, body massage gives you the chance to really relax and recover from the challenges of your new life as a mom.

Body Position

It is important that you pay attention to how you position your body after you give birth. Postpartum back pain is often caused as a result of the muscles in your abdomen being weakened by your pregnancy. This weakening means that back has to compensate by carrying much more of your weight to keep you balanced. This means that you really need to be mindful of your posture while you are standing, sitting, nursing and sleeping. Try to keep your back straight or well supported at all times. If you are breastfeeding don't hunch over to reach the baby's mouth, instead bring the baby close into you so that he or she can reach the nipple. Nursing pillows will be a Godsend for your baby and your back.

Exercising

Exercise is going to solve a lot of your back problem issues. The best exercise to start with is simple walking. You can take your baby to the park, walk around the block or walk on a treadmill. Walking will help to strengthen your core muscles and help you to lose your pregnancy weight. Both of these things will reduce your belly back pain.

When your doctor clears you for exercise you start working with back pain exercise routines. A good place to start your postpartum workout is with back stretches. These will help to loosen up tense muscles and they will help your body respond better to the other exercises that are on your postpartum workout schedule like pelvic tilts, sit-ups, yoga and work on a stability ball.

Pain Treatments

When postpartum back pain does kick in there are quick treatments that you can use for immediate pain relief. A heating pad is a great non-drug pain reliever. You can also use heated bean bags wrapped in a towel as a back pain treatment. Finally, you can use topical treatments like tiger balm and capsaicin roll-ons to relieve pain.

References

http://www.babycenter.com/0_postpartum-back-pain-how-to-get-relief_1152191.bc