Even regular tasks such as sitting, walking, standing and working can be difficult when pregnant. Almost all women experience musculoskeletal discomfort during pregnancy, and as many as 25% of all pregnant women experience temporarily disabling ones. This is due to the tremendous changes undergone by the body during any healthy pregnancy. With physiotherapy, techniques can be learned to help relieve the following conditions:
• Lower back pain caused by a shift in the mother’s centre of gravity as the baby grows. • Neck pain and headaches due to changes in posture. • Tightness and pain in the hamstrings and heel cords caused by a flattening of the feet. • Arm pain or tingling caused by nerve compression associated with an increased chest diameter. • Bladder leakage during pregnancy and after delivery due to strained pelvic muscles.
Stretching of the abdominal walls leading to back pain and difficult delivery due to ineffective abdominal contractions.
