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Physical Therapy During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a wonderful thing, but it causes lots of changes to women’s body including a serious physical strain that can result in discomfort and pain in different body parts. Physical therapy is typically associated with helping people recover from surgeries, traumatic events, and sports injuries. However, physical therapy is also great for helping pregnant women prepare for labor and delivery while reducing common discomforts linked to these processes. If you’re an expectant mother, don’t wait until pain or other problems caused by pregnancy become severe before seeking help.
Here are some reasons to consider physical therapy during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, women often gain 25 to 35 pounds. Your spine has to support that weight which can lead to recurring discomfort and even pain. The weight of the growing baby may cause your center of gravity to change, leading to problems with balance while walking and standing. Pregnancy strains women’s muscles and affects spine alignment, resulting in additional pains in the back, shoulder, and neck. Recent research has shown that pregnant women with lower back or spinal pains benefit from physical therapy. Physical therapy during prenatal development helps reduce soreness and discomfort, allowing to improve the quality of life.
During pregnancy, women typically experience problems with posture, spine alignment, weight gain, and the nervous system. This may eventually result in stress and exhaustion, with a decreased willingness to stay physically active. A physical therapist can create a treatment plan aimed at increasing muscle strength and relieving discomfort during pregnancy and after childbirth. Most of the recommended exercises can be at home without requiring to visit a gym. Physical therapy can help improve your endurance and metabolism, which can help lose excess weight after pregnancy.
Pregnant women’s body stimulates the release of certain hormones to help in adapting to their new reality. If hormonal changes continue, you can experience problems like nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain, difficulty urinating, and joint laxity. Physical therapy experts can recommend ways to control your posture while sleeping. These may include changing your mattress and placing extra pillows between your legs and under your back. And if you’re struggling to get enough sleep, a physical therapist can suggest different sleeping positions to minimize the pressure on your feet and back. By undergoing physical therapy, you can learn pelvic floor exercises to straighten your muscles and alleviate urinary incontinence.
If approved by your physician, physical activity can help strengthen your body and increase flexibility during pregnancy. A physical therapy specialist can perform a perineal massage to improve stretching during labor and minimize the need for stitches after delivery. He or she can also use electromyography to identify the most suitable and comfortable position for a more natural delivery. Physical therapy training like biofeedback can be performed to help reduce blood-pressure problems associated with pregnancy.
Just like people who experienced serious injuries, women also require physical therapy to recover faster after delivery. Whether they’ve required episiotomy or not, all women want to get back to normal activities without experiencing any difficulties. By strengthening weekend muscles with physical therapy, you can ease postpartum pain much faster and enjoy a healthier and happier life.
Don’t let the pain and discomfort during labor exhaust your body and reduce your ability to care for a newborn baby. By working with your physical therapist, you can successfully manage and reduce all the pregnancy complications and increase your chances of fast postpartum recovery.
