Back pain after having a baby is very common – but that does not mean it is normal. And the biggest mistake we see new and seasoned moms make it to just push on despite the discomfort.
Moms are selfless and spend countless hours caring for their families but often neglect their own care. They assume the aches and pains of childbearing will go away eventually or that there isn’t really anything they can do about it.
Both of these assumptions are wrong. Furthermore, if a mom is going to be able to care for her family for the long haul she MUST take care of her own body.
Because all too often we see moms in the clinic that ignore their pain for years (some women into their 50’s and 60’s) then find themselves with even more problems. We don’t want this to be you (or anyone you know and love)!
So, let’s correct the common mistakes moms make about their back pain.
1. Accept It
Many moms just accept that they have back pain. They say “it’s just sciatica” or identify a similar diagnosis and think that’s normal (when it most definitely isn’t).
2. Blame it on the Hormones
Well-meaning friends will say back pain is just due to hormones. But, we can attest to the fact that pain still around weeks, months, and even years after birth is due to more than hormones.
3. Wear a Support
Many moms will wear a belt or back support to ease back discomfort. This never fixes the problem if we don’t correct the bodies alignment and strengthen the muscles appropriately.
4. Do the Wrong Exercises
You can find kegel or various other postpartum exercises all over the interest. But continuing to do “cookie cutter” exercises often makes the problem worse and not better.
5. Just Wait
Most moms I talk to ignore the problem completely. They hope it will just magically disappear one day (and they are hoping that one day will be soon). . .so they just wait.
If you have made any of these common mom mistakes, please know you are not alone and it is not your fault. It’s often the advice you’ve been given or found online and you haven’t had a reason before to believe it not to be true.
But, let me tell you from the hundreds of moms who have walked through our doors, postnatal back pain doesn’t magically go away on its own and none of the above strategies are going to get your body in shape for the long haul.
The good news is that if you are a new mom or a grandmother there are a lot of things you CAN do to relieve back pain. It starts with getting the right information and best strategies – which we can e-mail straight to your inbox.
Click here to download our Free Ebook “7 Solutions to End Low Back Pain”
or if you would rather talk with a specialist directly, request a call from a Doctor of Physical Therapy HERE.
