Great Lakes Advocate

The unexpected source of pain relief for new mums and mums-to-be

Exercise tights are a comfortable choice for pregnant women - and are more useful than you'd think when it comes to alleviating pain!
Exercise tights are a comfortable choice for pregnant women - and are more useful than you'd think when it comes to alleviating pain!

This article is sponsored by Kinetic Medicine.

More than a third of all women will experience back pain during their pregnancy. Of greater concern is that 20 percent of these women continue to experience back pain well after giving birth to their child.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Recent research from The Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine has shed some light on an unlikely source of relief for women suffering from back pain pre- and post-birth: exercise.

The authors of the study reviewed the outcomes of 23 separate studies and found strong support for the use of back pain-specific exercise in alleviating discomfort for women. 

However, not just any exercise will do. The study found exercise must be tailored to the pregnant woman’s specific needs, as advised by a health professional such as an accredited exercise physiologist. 

Getting expert guidance on exercise during pregnancy could have other untold benefits beyond back pain for mums-to-be. 

A study exploring barriers for pregnant women when it comes to exercise found that pain and fear of harm were the main reasons pregnant women abstained from physical activity.

That fear is normal – women don’t want to do anything that puts their body under strain during pregnancy. Getting out of bed can often be enough of a trial!

But women who exercise during pregnancy have lower rates of ill health with reduced incidences of conditions such as post-natal depression and Type II Diabetes.

BabyCenter Australia Medical Advisory Board advocates that daily exercise may even help to prevent complications such as pre-eclampsia, help to ensure a shorter labour and increase the chances of giving birth vaginally.

Yoga can be a great form of exercise for pregnant women, but it's important they consult with a health care professional before undertaking exercise to find out what's best.
Yoga can be a great form of exercise for pregnant women, but it's important they consult with a health care professional before undertaking exercise to find out what's best.

Given the risks of pain medication use to an expectant mother and her unborn child, exercise is one of the most reliable and safest means of pain relief – with longer term benefits too.

Expertly-guided exercise can not only can reduce back pain during pregnancy, it can reduce the risk of ongoing pain post-pregnancy as well as the risk of pain in future pregnancies.

Post-natal exercise helps smooth the transition from a pregnant body to a non-pregnant one, helping the elasticity of the skin and muscle to bounce back. It can also help increase stamina (necessary for those sleepless nights!) and promotes the production of happy hormones.

Interestingly, it’s also been found that the children of women who exercised during pregnancy had lower rates of a range of conditions such as obesity, Type II Diabetes and attention disorders, even into adulthood.

Just 30 minutes of moderate to intense activity most days of the week – or three 10-minute sessions in a day – is a great benchmark for women to aim for. 

Remember that exercise doesn't have to be formal to have an effect. Any activity that you can fit into everyday life, such as walking, taking the stairs and doing housework, counts towards the 30 minutes.

But when it comes to exercise beyond every day movement, it’s important women consult with the professionals to find out which type of exercise is best for them. 

With this in mind, health experts are recommending pregnant women consult with their healthcare team and get expert advice, such as from an exercise physiologist, to ensure a healthy pregnancy and the best outcomes for their children.

This article is sponsored by Kinetic Medicine.