Excruciating back pain

[Christine&men]

Hi guys,

I am 12 weeks pregnant and have the worst backpain in the lower back on the right side. First it started out evenly (left and right) but for more than a week it is settled on the right and feels like knifes in my body (sitting, standing, walking) ... I did not have this with my first pregnancy, so I am somewhat surprised. It might have something to do with the fact that I was born with hip dysplasia (which got fixed surgically when I was a baby). Anyway, OBGYN sent me to primary care physician and they want me to have physical therapy.

Anybody out there with the same problem? How can one excercise the lower back without doing crunches (I thought crunches are a no-no during pregnancy)? The other thing the doc was talking about was injecting painkiller right into the spot (presumably a joint, gee, I don't want anything epidural like), or taking stronger painkillers (meaning narcotics, but this does not sound great either)?

Well, next Tuesday is the first appointment with the therapist, and I guess, I'll see what she recommends...

BTW, Tylenol, heating pads, massage thingies, getting my husband to massage me, all that is just temporary relief. The best thing for me is to stay in bed, yeah right, with a 19-month-old...

Thanks for any advice.

Christine

[zonapellucida]

Oh I wish I had some suggestions becasue I am in agony thnks to two herniated discs. I have been doing yoga for relief but have really bad days. Good luck wiht therapy--I simply don't have the time to fit appts in or else I would be seeing a chiropractor and getting massges.

And, LOL!! I also feel the need to crawl into bed but there are 5 little reasons why this is impossible! Good luck and let me know what they suggest for you PLEASE??

[Miss Juice]

Please please please consider going to a chiropractor before you let anyone inject anything into you. Chiropractic care is so beneficial for pregnant women. Not only does it align your spine and pelvis, giving pain relief, but it optimizes your nervous system so that you can have the healthiest pregnancy and delivery possible.

Physical therapy can be helpful, but if the primary issue is a misalignment of your spine or pelvis, only chiropractic adjustments will fix that. Physical therapy can help strengthen once you're aligned. Painkillers, oral or injected, only mask the symptoms, allowing your body to deteriorate without your knowledge. And they are much more likely to have side effects for both you and the babe you are carrying.

[InochiZo]

I work with Physical Therapists. I have SI joint issues and he did a muscle energy exercise which helped things out a bit. He mentioned some other things to do. Squeeze a pillow between my knees and bridging. Now I am doing isometric butt squeezes and my back is much better. I recommend a PT or Chiro to help you out. I wouldn't do an injection either. Such a short term fix.
Good Luck

[spiralmg]

I dont' have your specific problem, but had lots of back problems in my first pregnancy. This time, I've been religious about visiting my osteopath, who does chiropractic adjustments, and more importantly, cranial sacral work. Also, I do lots of yoga.

The best yoga exercise for lower back that I've found is a modified downward dog. Instead of putting your hands on the floor, you put them on a wall and PUSH into the wall. Your body is in an L shape. So you push your hips over your legs (back) while pushing forward into the wall and stretching your shoulders apart and thinking about pulling your tailbone to the floor.

Sorry for the bad explanation, I am no yoga teacher. But this really gives a lot of relief to a stressed lower back.

[grace's voice]

I have to repeat what's already been said, because it cannot be stressed enough.

PLEASE see a Chiropractor, not just once, but several times a week throughout your pregnancy. I go twice a week when I'm NOT pregnant. Even if you have no pain you still need to see a Chiro. 95% of subluxations are pain free, but they can cause any and every organ in your body to dysfunction and disease will set in. Before I started going I was having heart probelms-- at 25! I have not had a single heart issue since my 2nd adjustment! The fact that you feel this pain is a huge warning sign that your body needs help.

It is esp important durning pregnancy when your ligmanents get lax (which is essential for birth!) and you're vertebre can twist out of alignment even more easily. It is also very helpful to get adjusted when you go into labor, and personally I find it essential to have babies adjusted within 24 hrs of birth, the birth process is very traumatic on the cervical vertebre and can cause life-long health problems (and colic).

Ask around to find a good doctor, they are not all created equally!

I have been having this pain as well. It feels like my lower back/back of my hip is going to snap every time I move, esp when I put weight on it. Its all about the lazy ligaments. I feel your pain! Just know that it is normal, but that there is help.

[*guest]

I started getting lower right back pain a week or so ago (around 10-11 weeks), and it was right where it felt like my pelvis joined my spine. I've been seeing a chiropractor, and it has helped a lot! I'd check around for someone in your area who is used to working with pregnant women and give that a shot before going the painkiller route, although if it's unbearable, do what you gotta do.

[nighten]

Please know you're not alone in your pain. It's a very yucky side effect of being pg. I've got an appt with a massage therapist next week for my sciatica and if that doesn't do it, then will go to the chiro or acupuncturist.

But please take the advice of the ladies here and do the same before you let someone inject you with a heavy pain killer that will wear off anyway and your problem will remain (plus it will affect the baby!). Treat the problem not the symptom and you'll be a LOT happier in the long run. Trust me!

I use a rice bag heated in the microwave when am in pain -- I don't use heating pads because the electro-magnetic waves the baby's exposed to in utero have been linked to leukemia in childhood. Whether to use electric blankets or heating pads is a personal choice but not very many people know about the dangers and since you mentioned the heating pad, I thought you might want to know about rice baggies as a safer alternative :)

Good luck and btw, most insurance companies will pay for a chiro trip just like a doctor's trip now -- so call your insurance company ahead of time :)

[3 Little Monkeys]

I had horrible horrible back pain on my right side with my last pregnancy - doc finally sent me to a physical therapist and she massaged it/iced it, etc. and it was much better but it cost me an arm and a leg because my insurance wouldn't cover much of it at all. I have been seeing a chiro/massage therapist since before I got pregnant and I have not had the pain at all. My insurance covers it this time, and getting a weekly massage is just so relaxing! I definitely would not get the injections, as someone else mentioned, it's a temporary fix and if there is something wrong, the injections are just masking the pain and the problem is going to get worse.