Let’s start at the beginning. Pregnancy can bring on ALL sorts of symptoms from weird cravings to crippling back pain to crazy dreams to nausea and vomiting. And while physical therapy cannot address every strange pregnancy symptom, there are MANY that a Doctor of Physical Therapy can help with!
NAUSEA
Sorry, physical therapy cannot cure morning sickness, but we can help you improve your daily life with nausea. A physical therapist can help you identify triggers of your nausea, help you modify your activities of daily living to work around this nausea, help you find positions that improve your nausea, and help you find an exercise program to participate while respecting the constant urge to vomit.
CONSTIPATION
The change in hormones during pregnancy along with the addition of prenatal vitamins to your daily diet may lead to constipation which can not only be uncomfortable but can cause a serious disruption with your typical daily activities.
WEIGHT GAIN
Weight gain is normal and necessary during pregnancy, but how much and at what rate? Your physical therapist can help to answer these questions as well as help you identify an exercise program to maintain your healthy cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system while you are gaining pregnancy weight.
PAIN
The rapid weight gain that happens during pregnancy along with the hormonal changes causes a continuously shifting center of gravity and increases the force going through your joints. Both of these factors can cause muscle and joint pain. In fact, 50-70% of women experience back pain during pregnancy. Along with back pain, pregnant women often experience neck, hip, knee, foot and wrist pain throughout their pregnancy. Physical therapy can help address these aches and pains with pain relief techniques, manual therapy including massage and myofascial release, joint mobilizations or manipulations, muscle firing training, exercise and more.
STRESS
Finding out you are pregnant comes with a lot of excitement followed by a whole lot of stress. What do you need to get? What do you need to do? How do you learn to be a mom? The list goes on. Unfortunately, this added stress can lead to more muscle tension and pain. Physical therapy can help address this with manual techniques like massage and teaching you and your body relaxation techniques.
This only touches on a few of the many symptoms, concerns, and questions that a Doctor of Physical Therapy can help you address early in your pregnancy. If you would like to learn more about what physical therapy can do for you, please reach out to me at Life Changes Physical Therapy. I would love to discuss any symptoms you may be suffering from and how physical therapy may benefit you during this time!