Back Pain and Pregnancy








	"I have never seen any device work quicker with greater patient compliance, not even traction. Posture Pal works. Period". -- Dr. Joseph Ventura, posture expert and author of the Posture Pro computerized posture analysis system.
	"Brilliant! There isn't a product out there as easy to use or as enjoyable as Posture Pal." -- Dr. Jeff Fountain, Boulder, CO "When I use Posture Pal I am more energized! My neck and back pain are gone, and I can spend time reading and using the computer. My sleep has improved too. Posture Pal is the greatest." -- Karen E. Boyd, Kentwood, MI Read More >>


	Back Pain and Pregnancy

Back pain is a common complaint during pregnancy and it should come as no surprise. You're gaining weight, walking in a new way and your hormones are relaxing the joints and ligaments throughout your body.

However, you don't have to grin and bear it. Quite often you can treat -- or prevent -- back pain during pregnancy with simple self-care strategies or complementary therapies.

Dr. Joseph Ventura examines back pain during pregnancy in the following article entitled "Oh Baby, My Back Hurts".


	Oh Baby, My Back Hurts By Joseph Ventura D.C.

	As if the prospect of morning sickness, constipation, rashes and changes in hormone and wardrobe weren't daunting enough, 80% of pregnant women will develop back pain. This pain can last up to three months past the delivery date. Typically pain is experienced in the following areas: Hip Joints Low Back Mid-back Neck Shoulders TMJ or Jaw joint


	It's easy to see why. First there are the hormone changes that help relax ligaments and joints throughout the body. Next is the extra weight. Here is a breakdown of weight gain for a woman of normal weight. Added weight that directly contributes to back pain is in red.

Baby	7 to 8 pounds
Larger breasts	1 to 3 pounds
Larger uterus	2 pounds
Placenta	1 to 2 pounds
Amniotic fluid	2 pounds
Increased blood volume	3 to 4 pounds
Increased fluid volume	2 to 3 pounds
Fat stores	6 to 8 pounds
Total	24 to 32 pounds

The Body's Balance System

The human body has a magnificent system of adapting to keep us upright under many different conditions. This "Balance Control System" is comprised of two parts; Sensory (Where am I) and Motor (What am I going to do). But this adaptation comes at a price. As the extra 25 or so pounds are added to the woman's general mid-line area, the initial reaction is for the Center of Gravity and Center of Mass to shift forward. However, the body's Balance Control System kicks in and begins a slow but steady realignment of the pelvis and spine to act as a counter-balance for the extra weight of pregnancy. Eventually the Center of Gravity shifts backward.

These spinal changes are very predictable.

Pelvis tilts forward
Mid back drifts backward
Head/Neck assume a position in front of the shoulders

The natural "S" shape curve of the spine is created from the attachment of muscles and ligaments. Any changes in the curves of the spine will cause some muscles to stretch and some muscles to shorten, contributing to instability in the spine. This instability leads to chronic tension in certain muscle groups and increased strain on joints.


	The study of Physiology tells us that a muscle kept in a stretched position will eventually elongate its fibers and become weak. Conversely, a muscle held in an over-relaxed position will shorten its fibers and also become weak.

The Shear Truth

As if all this wasn't enough other forces come into play to create a low back that is less stable and more prone to create chronic pain and discomfort. Shear forces to be exact.

In a person with normal posture, downward Gravitational and directional shear forces work with the body to "lock" joints into position under load, thereby providing strength and stability to the spine. In a pregnancy posture, the Gravitational forces remain essentially the same, but the shear forces change direction in such a way as to open the low back joints, providing less stability in the spine. The body's exquisite feedback system senses this and the muscles in the low back become tighter in an effort to take up the slack.

Treatment Options

Because the pelvic and spinal changes are so predictable, it is possible to map which muscles will undergo "Stretch Weakness" and which will exhibit "Short Weakness". With that knowledge, a health care professional can create an exercise program to strengthen the muscles that have become stretched, and a stretching program for the muscles that have become shortened.

However, all exercise programs suffer from the same problem; long term compliance. A pregnancy exercise program is at least a nine month process, and let's faces it, we are a Country that is easily bored. Especially with things that are good for us. Recently the author discovered a new therapeutic cushion that duplicates the effects of the most commonly prescribed exercises for pregnancy related back pain. It's called Posture Pal®.

Gravity Works Against You All Day Long.

Now, Make It Work For You!

The special contours and foam density of the Posture Pal cushion causes the person's body weight, along with the pull of Gravity to stretch muscles that need to be stretched and relax muscles that need to be relaxed. Imagine an exercise program that works by you doing nothing except lie on the floor!


	The special cutout allows the head to assume a neutral or slightly backward position simultaneously stretching the muscles in the front of the neck and relaxing the muscles in back. The soft neck bridge encourages a normal curve in the neck. Internal rotation of the shoulders is a major problem with poor pregnancy posture. These special cutouts allow the shoulders to relax and rotate outward.

4. This upper back bridge exerts a gentle forward force that relaxes the back and expands the chest area.

5. The upper back bridge has a gentle decline to the low back area.

The special features of the Posture Pal cushion are so unique the company was awarded a U.S. Patent.

Conclusion

Back pain from pregnancy is both inevitable and manageable. If started early, a prescribed exercise and stretching program can help reverse muscle changes and improve posture during and after the pregnancy. A new therapeutic cushion, the Posture Pal, shows great promise in helping with this universal problem.

Dr. Joseph Ventura
VenturaDesigns
13913 Flint, Overland Park, KS 66221
(913) 239-8465