The decisions of picking a name… The anticipation and excitement…
Painting the new room… Clothing, diapers and family celebrations. The
joy of a pregnancy is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Unfortunately
however, for many women the later months of pregnancy can prove to be
quite challenging. One common problem many women face is lower back
pain.

Lower back pain can be a horrible interruption in day-to-day
activities for a pregnant woman. More importantly, it interferes with
their quality of life, not to mention the enjoyment of one of the most
 memorable times of their life.

The obvious cause of lower back pain is the biomechanical stress being
placed on the mother by the added weight of baby. As the baby gains
weight the mother is pulled forward. In order to compensate for this
forward pull, the mother has to lean her upper body backward. This puts
a tremendous amount of pressure on the low back and pelvis.

This explanation of low back pain sounds complete. It is a true
explanation but is only a small part the problem. The “hidden” cause of
lower back pain is actually muscle imbalances. In fact muscle imbalances
are a common cause of lower back pain in pregnancy but it is also
responsible for back pain in a majority of the population.

The strength and tone of the muscular system is an extremely important
factor when assessing a patient with lower back pain. Unfortunately,
muscle imbalances are not addressed properly by most health
practitioners… but just because they are not trained in identifying and
addressing muscle imbalances, it doesn’t mean you have to continue to
suffer…

But before I share with you the solution to this problem, let me first
explain in more detail what a muscle imbalance is and how it causes back
pain and sciatica…

In a nutshell, muscle imbalances work like this. Muscles work together
with opposing muscles to allow movement at joints. One muscle stretches
while the other shortens. Each side should be of equal tone and strength.
When a pregnant woman walks, moves, bends, twists or sleeps she will
typically do so in an unbalanced and awkward manner to accommodate for
her increased weight. In addition, various everyday activities and
positions we put our body in create imbalances in the muscle groups and
during pregnancy it only worsens…

Muscle imbalances then pull the pelvis and low back out of alignment and
this places uneven and excessive stress on the muscles, bones and joints.

The spine is comprised of 24 moveable bones with a shock-absorbing disc
in between each bone. This spinal column rests on three large bones called
the pelvic girdle. When this spinal column is in proper alignment it will
carry a majority of the weight and stress being placed on the body. When
one or more of these 24 bones misaligns, especially the pelvis, the
muscles work overtime so to speak. They now have to carry the weight that
the spinal column is supposed to handle. At this point the muscles are
unbalanced and are very prone to an injury. Lower back pain is the most
common expression of this problem.

If the above scenario takes place then the stage has been set for lower
back pain and dysfunction. Not only does the soon to be Mom have to deal
with safely carrying the baby, she has to now do it with a painful lower
back. Let’s face it, the soon to be Mom is going to be in pain and she is
not going to enjoy her most cherished time in life.

The Solution

The solution is based on a better understanding of muscle imbalances and
how your body works… The first thing you have to do is fully understand
what muscle imbalances are, how they are created and how they cause back
pain and sciatica…

Once you understand muscle imbalances the next step is to identify the ones
you have and understand how they are creating your pain… after you have
identified the imbalances is when you can then begin addressing them with
the right combination of corrective exercises, stretches and treatments…

Unfortunately, there are very few healthcare professionals that are trained
and experienced in addressing muscle imbalances… the good news is you can
find out what imbalances you have on your own by performing simple self
assessments or tests. You can learn more about how to identify and address
your muscle imbalances by visiting our Pregnancy and Backpain Advices .

For more information on how to treat all forms of Back Pain read the latest
Back Pain Advisory from The Healthy Back Institute.

Dr. Thomas Sullivan, got his undergraduate degree from The Johns Hopkins
University in 1993 and received his Decorate of Chiropractic in 1997 from
Life College of Chiropractic, he is a Certified Active Release Practitioner
and Director of Sullivan Chiropractic and Muscle Therapy Center in Manhattan NY.

To see other great articles by Dr. Sullivan, please visit Back Pain Articles and Resources
There, you will find many more articles and resources to help educate
and get rid of your back pain forever.