Back pain in pregnant women at night
Many women experience back pain during pregnancy, especially at night. Pregnant women who sleep on their back are most frequently affected. The growing child presses on the spine while lying down and can cause the pain.
If necessary, one can find a remedy by lying on one’s side and, for example, clamping a breastfeeding pillow in the back so that one does not turn back during sleep. Women who do not sleep on their backs anyway and still suffer from nightly back pain during pregnancy can try to place a nursing pillow between their legs and under their stomach. This can relieve the pressure on the back. If these measures do not provide sufficient relief from the nightly discomfort, it should also be considered whether the purchase of a new mattress could lead to an improvement.In the case of very strong, recurring or constantly increasing back pain at night, the pregnant woman should also consult her family doctor or gynecologist as soon as possible to rule out another cause of the complaints.
Therapy
There are several ways to prevent back pain during pregnancy or at least reduce the pain once it has occurred. These include relaxation exercises, back exercises and strengthening the relevant muscle groups. Water gymnastics is particularly recommended here, since the back is relieved on the one hand, but the spine must be active on the other.
In addition, the back should be spared as much as possible, unnecessary strain should be avoided and one should try to maintain a correct posture despite the increased weight. Special pregnancy bras can also help to relieve the back from the weight of the front of the body and prevent back pain. Of course, one should never forget that pregnant women can also have causes for back pain that have nothing to do with pregnancy at all, such as herniated discs, inflammation or bony changes.
Consequently, these pains (unlike the others), if they are not treated, will persist even after the pregnancy. In most cases, the harmless back pain that often occurs during pregnancy disappears very quickly, at the latest when the child is born. Since the weight pulling down after the birth is missing, the spine can straighten up again at any time and the spinal muscles relax.
In this case, no treatment needs to be initiated. However, if the pain is very severe during pregnancy, physiotherapy may be useful. In particular, the back muscles are specifically trained and strengthened so that they can counteract the weight that is pulled forward.
The treatment is rather long-term, but a corresponding success should already be achieved after a few weeks. If the pain is so severe and requires immediate help, an analgesic approved for pregnancy (painkillers during pregnancy) can also be used. In most cases, paracetamol in the dosage of 500 mg 3 times a day is sufficient.
Anti-inflammatory preparations such as ibuprofen or diclofenac should be avoided during pregnancy. A heat application can also be helpful. It is advisable to apply a cherry pit cushion or hot water bottle to the affected area of the back.
The heat leads to improved blood circulation in the muscles, which then relax and cause less pain. In some cases, the downward pulling weight causes such bad posture in the spine that an acute herniated disc results. The patient usually complains of sensitivity disorders of the skin and numbness in the upper or lower extremities.
Here, despite pregnancy, imaging is necessary. As a rule, however, one refrains from X-rays of the spinal column, firstly because it is not suitable for the diagnosis of herniated disks, and secondly because X-rays are harmful to the unborn child. At best, one would use magnetic resonance imaging.
If a herniated disc can be diagnosed, it remains to be considered whether surgery is necessary and when it will be performed. As a rule, one tries to wait until after the birth with an operation. However, if the herniated disc is so severe that permanent neurological damage to the mother is to be feared, immediate surgery should be considered.
