Even an uneventful pregnancy comes with some musculoskeletal discomfort or change. Pregnancy and post partum difficulties are common and there are a variety different issues that arise during and after pregnancy which can (and should) be addressed with physical therapy.
Common Pregnancy & Postpartum Related Issues
The following are common pregnancy and post partum related musculoskeletal conditions that can occur during pregnancy and delivery:
Neck & upper back strain
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Rib pain
Diastasis recti abdominis
Low back pain
Sacroiliac joint pain
Pubic symphysis dysfunction
Piriformis syndrome
Coccydynia
Foot pain / plantar fasciitis
Nerve palsy or weakness
Pelvic floor dysfunction leading to incontinence or pelvic pain
Prolapse
Leg and vulvar varicosities
At Rebalance Physical Therapy, we use a holistic way to treatment of common pregnancy and post partum related muscle and joint problems, such as low back pain. We differ from traditional therapy treatments by looking at the whole body to identify contributing dysfunctions and individualize treatment. We use the Integrated Systems Model (ISM) for Pain & Disability (Lee & Lee, 2007) as framework for treatment to interpret the unique picture of each individual patient. The goal of the ISM approach is to facilitate better strategies for posture and functional movement.
Any functional task (picking up you child) or sustained postural position (sitting at a desk) requires integration of all regions of the body. When a patient presents with pain and functional limitation like difficulty lifting, we determine how all areas of the body are linking and interacting with each other during total body function. By considering the connections between all parts of the body, your injury history and pain can be reasoned, explained and treated appropriately.
