July 12, 2021

It seems that between 24 and 90% of women experience pelvic pain or back pain during pregnancy. Many women say that this pain goes away when the baby is born. However, in more than a third of women the pain persists even after one year of birth.

Most back pain is related to physical changes that occur during pregnancy, including changes in hormones, changes in center of gravity and posture. Unfortunately, it usually gets worse as the pregnancy progresses.

CONTENT:

1. Causes of back pain during pregnancy
2. Treatment of back pain during pregnancy
3. Other tips for expectant mothers

 

Causes of back pain during pregnancy

Pain usually occurs where the pelvis meets the spine, at the sacroiliac joint, the most common causes being:

Postural changes: Even if before becoming pregnant you benefited from a very good posture of the body during pregnancy, the body undergoes all kinds of changes. As the pregnancy progresses and the baby grows, the center of gravity moves forward, resulting in increased lumbar curvature (lumbar lordosis). This causes back pain during pregnancy. At the same time, breast augmentation causes the shoulders to pull forward, thus changing the way you maintain your head position.

Muscle separation: As the uterus expands, the abdominal muscles that stretch from the rib cage to the pubic bone can separate, which makes the pain worse.

Hormonal changes: To maintain pregnancy and to feed your baby. These hormones are released with the release of the embryo into the uterus. The main hormones released during pregnancy are estrogen and progesterone (their levels during pregnancy increase about 100 times compared to normal levels, they recover after birth. Another hormone released during pregnancy is relaxing. Its effect is to relaxes the body, acts on the ligaments – the connective tissue between the bones, and the pelvis weakens and increases its volume preparing the moment of birth. An essential role is the increased amount of endorphins, they are responsible for shine during pregnancy, especially after the first trimester. pregnancy (after the first 3 months).

Stress: Increased fatigue, insomnia, various pains, and other physical discomforts caused by pregnancy cause tension in the back muscles, which is felt as pain or spasms, especially during more difficult periods of pregnancy.

Extra pounds: During a normal pregnancy, the pregnant woman gains between 12 and 18 pounds, which puts extra effort on the spine. To this we add the weight of the fetus and uterus which also puts pressure on the blood vessels and nerves in the pelvis and back.

 

Treatment of back pain during pregnancy

In the meantime, you can relieve low back pain like this:

• Practicing moderate intensity exercises to strengthen the muscles and increase the flexibility of the spine
• Hot / cold compresses for pain relief
• Improving posture (avoiding hunchbacks)
• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Wearing very comfortable shoes, in no case with heels
• Bed rest, maybe even lifting your legs against the wall to relax the lumbar area

 

Other tips for expectant mothers

• Try to gently massage your back.
• Use pregnancy pillows or two pillows, one between the knees and one under the belly.
• Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes, you can try shoes with orthopedic soles.
• If you are sitting on a chair, try to support your posture with a small pillow, placed between the back of the chair and the lower back.

While back pain is very common among adults, it is much less common in children. Therefore, any acute or chronic children’s back pain is taken much more seriously by the pediatrician.

Low back pain is most common for children, being the main reason for presenting to the doctor. Statistically, 20-36% of school-age children have episodes of low back pain.

Back pain at older children and adolescents is often “nonspecific back pain.”

At young children, the likelihood of them exaggerating the symptoms is very low, forcing the doctor to identify a possible “organic cause” that could be the source of back pain. However, it is important that all children with back pain to receive careful examination to avoid delaying the diagnosis of serious conditions.

CONTENT:

1. Causes of children’s back pain 
2. Symptoms of children’s back pain
3. Treatment of children’s back pain

 

Causes of children’s back pain 

Organic causes commonly associated with back pain include:

• Disc herniation
• Spondylolisthesis and spondylolysis
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Infectious spondylitis (discitis, vertebral tuberculosis)
• Scheuermann’s kyphosis and severe kyphoscoliosis
• Idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis
• Tumor vertebrae (osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, eosinophilic granuloma, aneurysmal bone cyst, Ewing’s sarcoma, osteogenic osteosarcoma)
• Intramedullary tumors (astrocytoma and ependymoma)
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia
• Spinal metastases in the thoracic spine frequently from a neuroblastoma or a Wilms tumor

 

Symptoms of children’s back pain

In most cases, the signs and symptoms go away on their own in a short period of time. If any of the following signs or symptoms are accompanied by back pain, you should see your doctor:

• Weight loss
• Rising body temperature (fever)
• Inflammation (swelling) on the back
• Legs pain
• Pain that reaches below the knee
• A recent injury, blow or trauma to the back
• Urinary incontinence
• Difficulty urinating
• Fecal incontinence – you lose control of your gut
• Numbness around the genitals
• Numbness around the anus
• Numbness around the buttocks

 

 Treatment of children’s back pain

Treatment for back pain generally depends on whether the pain is acute or chronic. Surgery is recommended only if there are organic causes of back pain, or nerve damage or changes in the bone structure of the vertebrae.

Remedies for relieving mild or short-term back pain

Muscle pain is a relatively common cause of back pain in a teenage athlete. Treatment includes discontinuation of physical activity, initially the application of ice and later local heat and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nurofen or naproxen), which reduce inflammation, allowing better mobility of the spine.

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is also a drug commonly used to reduce and treat back pain. These can be combined with codeine (opiate analgesic) and muscle relaxants, muscle relaxants that relax the muscles.

Topically applied gels or sprays that locally create the sensation of heat or cold can also relieve pain.
Muscle pain usually improves quickly in a few weeks. If the pain persists, an X-ray will be taken to rule out other potential causes, such as spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis.

In acute spondylolysis (pars interarticularis fracture), orthotic treatment with a thoracolombosacral orthosis can alleviate symptoms and help heal the fracture. Surgery is indicated only if the pain persists and does not improve after conservative treatment.

In spondylolisthesis, depending on the degree of slipping of the L5 vertebra in relation to the S1 vertebra, orthotic treatment or surgical treatment is indicated.

In disc herniation, most patients can be initially treated conservatively with restriction of physical activity, oral administration of anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids, and physical therapy. Prolonged conservative treatment of a herniated disc may be associated with persistent pain, and if the adolescent or child does not respond to this therapeutic approach, pain relief can only be achieved by surgical removal of the disc (discectomy).

Back pain in Scheuermann’s kyphosis is usually located at the apex of the kyphosis and is usually aggravated by physical activity, prolonged standing or sitting. Often, the pain is not severe and is not associated with neurological signs.

Most patients are treated by medical gymnastics with spine extension exercises to tone the back extensors mm associated with correcting spinal deformity with a corset. Severe kyphotic deformities greater than 70º, accompanied by persistent pain are an indication for surgical treatment.

The most common symptoms of back pain are: the ache or pain anywhere in the back, inflammation or swelling of the back, pain down the legs.

CONTENT

1. Back pain in the cervical area
2. Back pain in the chest area
3. Back pain in the lower back
4. Back pain in the coccyx area

 

Back pain in the cervical area
It manifests itself in the form of discomfort or dull or sharp pain in the area between the base of the skull and the upper part of the shoulders and can spread to the upper back or arms. Mobility in the head and neck can be affected and headaches can occur.

If the pain is caused by compression of the spinal nerve roots, it may be accompanied by other symptoms (numbness, weakness in the arm or hand, tingling, burning sensation in the arm or hand, numbness or weakness in the legs).

The doctor should be consulted if the neck pain occurred as a result of an accident or if it is accompanied by numbness in the arm, heaviness in breathing, stiffness in the neck. Also, any strong and persistent neck pain should be evaluated by a specialist.

 

Back pain in the chest area

Pain located in the middle of the back is manifested locally in the spine or in the area innervated by the irritated thoracic nerve, and may be accompanied by other symptoms (eg, numbness and tingling in the case of nerve compression).

In case of association with symptoms such as loss of urinary control or a feeling of weakness in the legs, a visit to the doctor is mandatory.

 

Back pain in the lower back

It can be felt as a sharp pain in the lower back, which is aggravated by standing. Although it is perceived as a fairly strong pain immediately after waking up, it seems to lose intensity during the day or when changing position. It may be accompanied by tingling and numbness in the legs.

In case of association with symptoms such as loss of urinary control, severe abdominal pain or fever and chills, medical help is needed.

 

Back pain in the coccyx area

It can be a dull pain, but in certain positions it becomes sharp. It manifests itself in a sitting position, when standing up, during prolonged standing, during bouts of coughing, during defecation or during sexual intercourse.

If it is accompanied by gait disorders, a visit to the doctor is necessary.