New Motherhood … A Recipe For Back Pain?
Get kid-friendly activities sent to you!
Get the Best Family Activities
Inadequate Sleep
Lack of sleep is a natural part of having a new baby, but with this fatigue comes increased susceptibility to back pain. When you lose sleep, your muscles stay over-contracted for too long and the result is often painful back spasms.
Solution: Schedule naps whenever you can and don’t be afraid to enlist the assistance of friends and family to babysit so you can catch a few winks.
Balanced Diet
Most new mother’s feel like they just don’t have time to eat regular meals and end up grabbing the first thing they see and eating it quickly. There is a direct correlation between what you eat and drink and back pain.
Solution: Don’t forget that you need proper foods, too! New mothers often fight their battles with fatigue by grazing on sugary foods and caffeinated beverages.The reality is, caffeine and sugar will leave you feeling drained, cause the muscles to contract, and may result in back spasms.
Stress
Stress is the number one factor for back pain, and being responsible for a new life can be incredible stressful and even scary.
Solution: Join a new mother support group or a mommy-and-me fitness class. Having other new moms with whom to share your fears, experiences, and tips offers a lot of support. If you can’t take care of yourself, it is very difficult to take care of anyone else.
Birth
As every new mom knows, giving birth is a very taxing process. What many don’t realize is that the actual process of giving birth can cause structural imbalances in a new mother’s body. Your body underwent amazing changes through the nine months of pregnancy and birth, and it takes at least that long to feel exactly like you did pre-pregnancy.
Solution: See a chiropractor, physical therapist, or massage therapist — experts in treating pain caused by the structural changes of pregnancy and labor. With the help of these professionals, you can strengthen your body the right way and prevent unnecessary back and neck pain.
DR. TODD SINETT, chiropractor and bestselling author of “The Truth About Back Pain,” aims to educate others about how to cure and prevent chronic back pain.Steering away from doctors in his field, Dr. Sinett believes that by focusing on the whole body and the three levels of the core — structural, chemical and emotional — one can improve one’s overall health.