How Can Physical Therapy Help With Physical Pain During Pregnancy?

October 20, 2021

Has your pregnancy caused you mild to severe discomfort? Pregnant women are often relegated to deal with their pain through self-care and approved pain relievers.

What if there was a natural way to relieve pain, and mitigate discomfort throughout the duration of the term? Physical therapy has become a proven alternative to pain relief and one of the safest options to restore functional mobility.

How Physical Therapy Helps

Physical Therapy exists to relieve pain and restore bodily movement. A Physical Therapist commonly sees patients throughout the entire age spectrum from Birth to Three services to the elderly. Both engage in physical therapy for the stated purpose of rehabilitation and progressive strengthening of their musculoskeletal system.

Physical therapy exercises will help to relieve pain during pregnancy, as well as prepare the musculoskeletal system before labor.

Pain Relief

Pain in pregnant women is often located in the back, leg, foot, abdominal, sciatic nerve, and pelvic regions of the body. Given the wide range of potential soreness to the female body during pregnancy, most women simply choose to deal with the pain.

Back pain is one of the most common responses women have to pregnancy. This is a result of increased weight gain and the amount of stress applied to the body that is uncommon to their normal routine. Other forms of pain in the body can often be traced to the back and spine, which is the center of the body’s functionality.

The most obvious benefit of physical therapy is the amount of pain relief it provides to the patient and the ability to strengthen muscles for future endurance. Because the effects of pain-relievers for pregnant mothers and the child are largely unknown, physical therapy is a natural form of pain relief that includes a positive impact on the body.

Preparation

Many consider physical therapy a post-operational form of rehabilitation. Rather, there are a number of patients who seek physical therapy as a form of preventative treatment and to improve their wellbeing. Pregnancy can be viewed in the same way, and as a form of preparation to undergo strenuous activity.

Physical therapy treatments have proven to strengthen muscular retention and improve physical abilities.

Easier Delivery & Faster Recovery

Some studies have shown that pregnant women who opt into physical therapy and other physical activity reduce the length of delivery, the energy required to deliver, and the strength to push throughout the process.

Women have also seen a correlation between physical activity and the amount of time needed to recover after a normal labor and delivery.

At-Home Exercises

Part of the treatment process for pregnant women will be to undergo at-home physical and strengthening exercises. This is to continue the patient’s progress, as well as to ensure the patient is properly strengthening the important muscles to avoid undue stress on the body. Most of these exercises can be done daily and should be performed at a rate that is suitable for the woman.

Call Country Roads Physical Therapy Today!

Lisa McCune, DPT, is a physical therapist for Woman’s Health at Country Roads Physical Therapy. McCune brings a wealth of experience in women’s health and often highlights the increased interest from pregnant women in seeking out physical therapy attention, a practice that was uncommon in earlier years of the industry. 
“It has been amazing to see women see comfort and relief through only a few physical tweaks,” said McCune. “Not every pregnant woman needs physical therapy, but if you are having pain, come in [for] a few treatments.”
 Pregnancy doesn’t mean you have to live with pain. With a few tips and simple changes, you can experience comfort and relief.

To make an appointment or for additional information on Country Roads Physical Therapy, you can visit www.countryroadspt.com. The Women’s Health department is operated out of the Buckhannon location and can be reached at (304)472-8510.