Pregnancy alters a woman's body. Pregnancy hormones and bodily changes affect biomechanics and posture. These causes musculoskeletal pain, damage, or discomfort. Before discussing myotherapy Fitzroy, Here are some musculoskeletal changes:
1 Pregnancy muscle changes
Pregnancy alters a woman's body. Mechanical changes related to growing breast, uterus, and foetus, as well as an increase in lumbar lordosis, shift a woman's centre of gravity, causing balance issues.
Alterations:
- 9-15 kilos during pregnancy.
- Abdominal stretching
- Weakened ligaments.
- Lax ligaments cause hypermobile joints.
- 2.5 cm Pelvic floor dip
Shoulder gridle becomes rounded, scapular protection, cervical lordosis, knee hyperextension, lumbar lordosis, balance problems- larger steps.
Pregnant people gain weight, which makes physical activity harder. Gravity slows blood and fluid circulation, especially in the lower limbs. Pregnant women retain fluids, causing face and limb swelling.
2.Pregnancy Posture
Changes in body mass and centre of gravity most affect a pregnant woman's posture.
Myotherapists must ensure that women's new posture does not overstress any body segment, which can cause weariness, micro damage, and pain.
Gravity line shifts anteriorly.
This inherent inclination to anterior displacement can be counterbalanced by increasing gastrocnemius and soleus activation, active posterior body displacement, hip joint extension, or upper trunk posterior displacement.
Active posterior body displacement may be achieved by increasing the lumbosacral angle, lumbar curvature, or pelvic anteriority and shoulder posteriority, which may result in thoracic kyphosis.
3. Pregnancy-related spinal instability
Body Subsystems:
Neural feedback from ligaments, tendons, muscles, and neural control centres.
Passive – vertebrae, facet joints, discs, ligaments, and joint capsules.
Active spinal muscles and tendons.
Due to circulating hormones, passive subsystem changes rapidly during pregnancy. Possible cause of spinal instability is either an increase in motion not restrained by the passive subsystem (the neutral zone) or a decrease in control in this area by the active subsystem. In either situation, a portion of the normal range of motion is not controlled, leading to increased shear forces, micro trauma, and pain.
Is pregnancy backache normal?
Causes include:
- Obesity
- Postural shifts
- Vascular
- Backache history
- Banding/lifting
- Hormone-related pelvic insufficiency
Major complaint areas are:
- Above-lumbar pain
- Lumbar pain with leg radiotherapy.
- Sacroiliac pain with legs.
- Pregnancy biomechanics
Biomechanics studies how bones and muscles move the body. By the conclusion of pregnancy, the brain has reconstructed its image of a balanced body based on feedback from the skin, joints, and muscles.
Biomechanics alterations include:
As the baby grows during the second half of pregnancy, the centre of gravity moves from the pelvis to a location forward and slightly above. The forward shift of weight creates forward gravitational pull.
Weight-related joint movement.
As weight is redistributed, muscle strength around the joint varies. The back of the waist curved in, the top of the pelvis tilts forward, and the upper spine curves increase to compensate for forward gravitational force. Muscles and joints are stressed.
- Spinal curvature increases vertebral load.
- Laxity increases damage risk.
Hormone changes (increased relaxin and elastin) loosen ligaments and tendons, increasing joint mobility. This assists with birth, although it stresses joints and muscles during movement.
- Low back pain is a structural ailment.
- Sciatica and carpal tunnel syndrome are more likely.
- Pregnancy affects the uterus and uterine ligaments.
- During pregnancy, the uterine ligaments stretch.
The circular ligaments bind the uterus to the pubic bone in front and keep it centred. When extended, the hips often hurt sharply or dullly.
The uterus-sacrum ligaments cause backaches during pregnancy. Weak abdominal muscles, poor posture, and abdominal weight dragging on back ligaments cause lower back pain.
Pregnancy and Muscles
As the uterus grows, the rectus abdominal muscles stretch. From rib cage to pelvic bone. These muscles might separate as the abdomen grows. Diastasis can cause abdominal weakness.
- Pelvic floor stretching.
- Muscles will tighten and lengthen.
- Overstretch and hamstring weakness ( buttocks and back of the leg )
- abdomen and pelvic floor muscle overstretch and weaken
- Upper back muscle overstretch and weakness ( shoulders forward )
- Hip flexor tightness.
- Upper back flexors and pecs shorten ( chest caves in )
Myotherapy and pregnancy?
Myotherapists can provide relaxing pregnant massages. Pregnancy massage is an excellent treatment. Pregnancy massage treatments can relieve worry and stress, boost mood, and relax muscles.
Pregnancy can increase stress chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine. Massage reduces dopamine and boosts mood. Changes in hormone levels can also lessen birth problems including low birth weight.
Muscle tightening decreases flexibility. Inflexibility can cause muscle damage. Tight muscles can cause long-term problems by pulling the body out of neutral alignment. Massage loosens tight muscles by boosting tissue warmth and circulation. Temperature increases relax muscles and reduces tightness.
Massage helps relieve aches and pains. During pregnancy, the back, neck, shoulders, and pelvis are stressed. Pregnancy loosens ligaments and tendons around joints. Less stable joints shift and irritate soft tissues. Stress and bodily changes cause pain. Massage releases endorphins and relaxes muscles, relieving pain.
Massage boosts circulation. Reduced circulation causes edoema or joint swelling during pregnancy. Reduced circulation raises blood vessel pressure, causing fluid retention. By boosting blood flow, massage reduces edoema. Increased circulation reduces swelling. Massage improves waste elimination and lymphatic fluid drainage.
0
