Pregnancy is the ultimate strain on a woman’s body.   Remaining proactive during pregnancy and during the postpartum period is important to maintain health and vitality.  Physical therapy is an important option that addresses many of the critical changes that take place during pregnancy. 

The Section on Women’s Health of the American Physical Therapy Association provides the following description of the strain a woman might expect during pregnancy and following delivery. 

“The prenatal period is a time of great change for a woman, physically, emotionally, and hormonally. As the fetus grows, the overall musculoskeletal system is challenged by altered posture, shortened muscles, potential muscle imbalances, and changes in spinal mobility. These changes may cause pain and dysfunction. In the postpartum phase, fluctuating hormone levels combined with additional physical changes as a result of delivery may also result in musculoskeletal problems such as excessive joint mobility, weakness of the core stabilizers, and altered spinal mobility and function.”

How Can Physical Therapy Help?

Physical therapy is a health care profession specializing in the treatment of pain and maintaining mobility.  Physical therapists evaluate and provide patient centered treatment of musculoskeletal problems. Treatment plans would provide a comprehensive approach by working on pain triggers such as posture, joint alignment, flexibility, and muscle strength. 

Symptoms that may be helped through physical therapy include pain in the joints of the pelvis or spine, muscular pain in the hips, or numbness into the extremities. Weakness may be present in the abdominals, resulting in pain with movements or lifting. Incontinence in the postpartum period may indicate muscle weakness that physical therapy may address. Muscle imbalance may also cause pain or contribute to urinary issues during the postpartum period.

Typical treatment might include a focus on building strength, increasing flexibility and improving posture.  You could expect home based exercises and routines.  Your physical therapist would monitor your progress and condition look for the emergence of weaknesses that could lead to problems. 

A physical therapist is a specialist that will help you address pain and mobility issues.  While many associate the need for physical therapy with injury rehabilitation or orthopedic rehabilitation, physical therapy also provides important treatments for pregnancy.  With its conservative approach focusing on the elimination of pain and increasing mobility while striving to avoid surgery or medication, physical therapy is an obvious and important treatment option for pregnant women. 

References

American Physical Therapy Association. (n.d.) For Our Patients.  In Section on Women's Health. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://www.womenshealthapta.org/plp/index.cfm.

Stulginsky, C. (April, 2011). Pregnancy and Physical Therapy. In American Pregnancy Association. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/physicaltherapy.html.