Skip the risks of taking pain medication during pregnancy and use the time honored, drug free, medical option of acupuncture for back pain. It is safe for pregnant women and has been proven to be significantly more effective than conventional medicine for back pain during pregnancy. In fact, 78% of pregnant women with back pain had a 50% or more reduction in their pain levels with acupuncture treatments alone. Compared to only 15% in conventional medicine group.
Source:
Acupunct Med2004;22:60-67 doi:10.1136/aim.22.2.60
It is critical you choose a Licensed Acupuncturist as they often have over 10 times the training and education as a medical Acupuncturist who is usually an MD or Chiropractor who has taken a few weekend classes over the course of a year. You also want to choose a Licensed acupuncturist whose specialty is women's health and pregnancy. www.Acufinder.com is a great place to start where you can read Acupuncturists bios and call them before making an appointment.
During pregnancy it is natural to gain weight. There are five contributing factors that exacerbate back pain during pregnancy.
1. Weight Gain: Women can gain up to 1/4 of their body weight even while attempting not to over eat and regularly exercising during pregnancy. This weight adds pressure to weight bearing body parts including your lumbar spine (low back), your pelvis and hips. This causes very painful back pain throughout pregnancy that is often not alleviated by rest.
2. Previous Injury: adding additional weight to an already inflammed area causes worse pain especially in pregnant women.
3. Fatigue: Creates poor posture and abdominal muscles are naturally spread while women are pregnant making their core weaker and putting more strain on the low back.
4. Muscular Imbalance Weight gain often not only naturally happens anteriorly where the baby is carried but also posteriorly in women's hip, buttocks and thighs. This contributes to a change in the center of gravity forcing a woman's low back to curve more dramatically putting additional strain on the low back inevitably causing more pain.
5. Hormonal Fluctuations: This often contributes to achiness throughout a women's body and will be particularly uncomfortable where there was inflammation previously.
What to do:
Here are some safe tips to do while you are pregnant to alleviate back pain:
1. Get Acupuncture. It is safe and very effective in alleviating back pain during pregnancy.
2. Tennis Balls: This you will want to do with a partner. Lie on your side on the floor (this is where your partner will come in handy) have him place 2 tennis balls on the ground on eithe side of your spine (in the softest part of your muscles in your low back) and you slowly roll back onto the tennis balls. If the pressure is too much have your partner hold your arms above you and pull you gently off the tennis balls until the pressure is just right. This will help your muscles relax. Repeat the process up and down your back and buttocks to alleviate pain.
3. Get a pregnancy massage from a massage therapist who has additional training in pregnancy massage.
4. See a chiropractor who specializes in pregnancy related medical problems.
5. Apply warm, not HOT compresses to your low back for 10 minutes at a time. If your back turned red, then it was too warm. You can alternate with some ice on the area but a little bit of warm will relax the muscles where as the ice will contract the muscles and make them tighter.
6. Wrap: There are specific belly wraps that can often take some pressure off a woman's low back that can be found at Babies R US and your local pharmacy.
7. Pillows: Placing strategic pillows while resting can often help reduce back pain. Lie on your side and use all shapes and sizes of pillows until you find the right combination. It is helpful to have a loving partner support you in getting all the pillows in the right spots. There are wedge shaped pillows, body pillows and just plain old pillows that together can make resting a pain free experience, that is until you have to get up and go to the bathroom.
Kristen N. Burris L.Ac.
Anti-Aging, Menopause, Fertility and Women's Health Expert
Business Woman of the Year 2013 NAWBO
Business Person of the Year 2011-2012 Eagle Chamber
Top Doc 2010
Kristen Burris, L.Ac., M.S.T.O.M., Dip. Ac. was voted Top Doc 2010 in Eagle and Business Person of the Year 2011-2012. Ms Burris won the prestigious National Association of Women Business Owner of the year 2013 and receives referrals from doctors throughout the US including Dr. Mehmet Oz. She is the founder and medical director of Eagle Acupuncture. She is a nationally-recognized practitioner in the field of women’s health: menopause, irregular menstrual cycles, migraines, digestive problems, pain and fertility enhancement. Ms. Burris combines her skills of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and nutrition with her compassionate approach to promote health in her patients. Kristen Burris has been featured in USA Today, Woman’s Day, MSNBC, Yahoo News, Parents, Parenting, Natural Health,& Better Nutrition magazines, The San Diego Union Tribune, The Miami Herald, NPR radio, KBOI TV and KUSI TV. Ms. Burris taught graduate school at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, California, one of the most respected colleges in the field of integrative medicine. Throughout her career she has also treated patients at: San Diego Hospice, UC-San Diego Free Clinic, UC-San Diego Dental Acupuncture Study and at the leading fertility centers in California.
No comments:
Post a Comment