Dr. Shellock Talks About Pregnancy And Back Pain

Why Do Pregnant Women Experience Back Pain? The Two Reasons Might Surprise You. There is not a more joyous time in the lives of a couple than when they are expecting a child. Words are inadequate to describe this experience. This process of bringing a new life into the world is simultaneously invigorating and more than a little scary! During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes many changes in order to accommodate the birth, and this often results in the expectant mom experiencing back pain. In most cases, this pain is common. However, to paraphrase a wise person: “Pain is not common if it is YOUR pain.” To explain why back pain often occurs in pregnant women, Dr. Jessica Shellock, a back specialist at Texas Back Institute was asked for her professional opinion. In the process giving this explanation, she also offered some suggestions on dealing with this pain. The Causes of Back Pain “There are two primary causes for back pain in women who are pregnant,” noted Dr. Shellock. “As the baby is growing in the uterus, its weight increases, which causes a strain on the lower back of the expectant mother. In order to accommodate this weight, a woman will change her posture – hyper-extending her lower back in order to maintain balance. This causes muscle strain and leads to pain. “The other reason for this pain is due to the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy,” she said. “Estrogen is a relaxant and it fluctuates in a woman’s body during this period of pregnancy. These hormones are preparing her body for childbirth. They loosen some of the ligaments, which allow the baby to pass through the birth canal. Both of these factors can cause increased fatigue and back pain.” “These changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy don’t typically cause long - term injuries,” Shellock said. “However, women who are prone to having back pain are going to be more likely to experience back pain during their pregnancy. “In most cases, after delivery, the pain will subside,” she said. “This is due to the woman losing that ‘baby weight’ and her hormones regrouping to their normal levels.”