Pregnancy Back Aches: What You Can Do When Herniated Discs Are Responsible
Pregnancy can be a rare combination of excitement and pain for many women. The prospect of becoming a mother is cause for joy and excitement, but the side effects of growing another human being inside your body can be painful. While some discomfort during pregnancy is normal, when you start to experience severe back pain or tingling and numbness of your legs, your pregnancy back ache may be more than just discomfort. It may be due to one or more herniated discs in your spine. Get to know some of the ways that you can deal with and treat those herniated discs so that you can relieve your pain and discomfort and get back to the excitement of becoming a new mom.
Pregnancy Massage
Many people are under the mistaken assumption that women who are pregnant cannot get a massage when they are pregnant. However, paying a massage therapist a visit while you are pregnant is not only safe but can also do a great deal of good in relieving pain and tension.
Pregnancy massage for a herniated disc will focus on the muscles around the area of the back where the disc is displaced as well as the muscles in the legs and the rest of the body. These muscles will develop knots and long-lasting tension from trying to overcompensate for the slipped disc. This can actually result in more pain and discomfort that you would otherwise experience and may prevent the herniated disc from improving.
Getting a monthly or even a weekly massage while pregnant can help keep you calm and relaxed as well as relieve that pain. Be sure you inform your massage therapist of your pregnancy and herniated discs and that you choose a licensed massage therapist with expertise in pregnancy massage.
Physical Therapy
Another approach to dealing with painful herniated discs while you are pregnant is to see a physical therapist. Physical therapists are trained to help a person be able to move and function without excessive pain from certain health conditions. Many people, pregnant or not, suffer from herniated discs, and physical therapy is often one of the first recommended treatment options.
Working with a physical therapist over the course of a few weeks will teach you exercises and stretches that you can safely perform while pregnant that can help ease pressure on your herniated disc and relieve the pain you are experiencing. The goal of physical therapy is to perform those exercises to get your body to heal itself and create space for the disc to move back into its correct position, but the second goal is also pain management. Exercises and stretches you do in your physical therapy sessions can then be repeated and performed at home to continue to relieve symptoms.
Now that you know a few of the ways that you can deal with herniated discs while you are pregnant, you can be sure to get the help and treatment you need to relieve your pain and discomfort. For more information, contact Imagine Wholeness.
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