Understanding How Physiotherapy Can Help When Pregnant
When you're pregnant, it's not uncommon to experience aches and pains and general discomfort, particularly in the later stages of your pregnancy. Your body goes through considerable changes including your centre of gravity changing as your bump grows, which can alter your posture and put strain on your back. Your body also begins releasing relaxin in preparation for labour. This is a hormone that loosens your ligaments. These changes can put pressure on your joints and muscles, but there are steps you can take to be as comfortable as possible while pregnant, such as getting enough rest, staying hydrated and doing gentle exercise regularly. Physiotherapy can also help ease pregnancy discomfort. Here's how a physiotherapist can support you during pregnancy:
Gentle Manual Manipulation
Your physiotherapist can loosen tight muscles and release tension in your back with gentle manual manipulation. This involves the use of a range of hands-on techniques, such as stretching and thrusting, to reduce stiffness and encourage improved blood flow to the muscles being worked on. Manual manipulation can feel a bit like a firm massage and some patients notice a difference in how they feel after only one session, but having a course of treatment throughout your pregnancy is considered to bring the most benefit.
Targeted Exercises
Your physiotherapist can show you how to do safe exercises that target the areas of your body you are experiencing pain or discomfort in. These exercises can loosen tight muscles and strengthen muscles to help your body cope with carrying your growing baby. As your centre of gravity shifts your posture can change and this can alter the alignment of your spine. Your physiotherapists can show you how to do exercises that support a healthy posture and keep your back strong.
Supportive Aids
There is a range of supportive aids that can be used safely during pregnancy to support your growing bump and your posture. Your physiotherapist can recommend suitable supportive aids based on the type of discomfort you're feeling. For example, if you work at a desk, they may suggest using a back support wedge, or if you're on your feet all day a support belt may be beneficial. They will have supportive aids at their office for you to try out.
These are just some of the ways a physiotherapist can support you during pregnancy. If you're experiencing pregnancy-related aches and pains, or if you'd like to try and avoid them during your pregnancy, schedule an initial appointment with a physiotherapist to see how they can help. For more information on physiotherapy, contact a professional near you.