Pregnant women often report complaints due to physiological and postural changes. 🤨Postural changes during pregnancy may cause low back pain and pelvic girdle pain. 😟These complaints can continue after delivery.
1. Increased lumbar Lordosis and anterior pelvic tilt - the change in the centre of gravity after 20 weeks may cause prenatal women to lean back to stay balanced, increasing lumbar lordosis. This increase in lumbar lordosis may aggravate an SIJ issue. Stretching and possible weakness of the abdominal muscles may also contribute to increased lumbar lordosis. The increase in weight may also contribute to lower back pain.
2. Increased kyphosis, especially in the second and third trimester, a pregnant woman may demonstrate a swayback posture with the thoracic spine is placed posteriorly to the lumbar spine.
3. Forward head with increased cervical lordosis, increasing the risk of neck pain.
4. Genu recurvatum or hyperextended knees - 🦵excessive extension occurring at the tibio-femoral joint. This may be caused by an increase in the hormone Relaxin that increases laxity in all the ligaments in the body during pregnancy. Hyperextended knees can lead to increased pressure and irritation at the knee joint.
5. Pronated feet - 🦶perhaps due to the increasing in weight and also ligament laxity. This can create stress or inflammation on the plantar fascia, the fibrous band of tissue that runs from the heel to the forefoot. Over-pronation can make walking very painful and can increase strain on the feet, calves and/or back.
6. Rounded shoulders, as breasts grow during pregnancy, the increased weight tends to round shoulders. 💪After carrying the baby in utero, women then carry, nurse/feed, pick up after, and change the baby, etc. – mostly in a hunched position. After giving birth, muscles are weak, tired, stretched or shortened, and need to be rehabbed back to normal.