5 Poses to Help You Relieve Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy.

Lower back pain is unfortunately far too common. Even without being pregnant, this is an area a lot of people suffer in. I quick google search proves I’m not the only one!

I suffered from lower back pain since I was a teenager, and can now say that it is finally ‘’gone’’. Yes, even though I carry two small children around, since I started practicing alignment based yoga, my lower back is so much better.

However, I did struggle a lot with back pain during my two pregnancies, especially during the second one. I already had a small baby to care for and was working in an office. This, plus commuting to work in a car and then sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day definitely did not help.

This type of discomfort, apart from the physical pain, can just be demoralising. It can make you grumpy, unhappy and frustrated.

And just because it’s common, doesn’t mean we should ignore it or just live with it.

Why does lower back pain increase during pregnancy?

Here are a couple of reasons why your lower back may hurt more during pregnancy.

• Weight gain. Our centre of gravity is shifting week by week and the pelvis tilts forward to counterbalance the new load -> leading to increased lower back pain.
• Posture changes. The curvature of the lower back increases (i.e. lordosis), and this may have some adverse effects such as ligaments being strained or may lead to muscle imbalances -> leading to increased lower back pain.
• Hormonal changes. During pregnancy, our hormones encourage ligaments to lengthen and soften, which is a great way to prepare you for labour. However, this can also mean increased strain on the joints, the uterine ligaments, or strain on the lower back-> leading to increased lower back pain.

What can we do to relieve lower back pain during pregnancy?

Personally, I found that a combination of swimming, chiropractic care and yoga really helped!

Other things that may help are baths, massages and relaxation exercises.

How can yoga help lower back pain during pregnancy?

There are many poses that can help. Here is a short sequence of 5 poses that will stretch out your lower back, relieve the pain and allow your achy muscles to relax.

You will need a chair and some bolsters or cushions. Enjoy this video and let me know how it feels!