| The decisions of picking a name… The | | | | muscle imbalance is and how it causes back pain and |
| anticipation and excitement… Painting the new | | | | sciatica… |
| room… Clothing, diapers and family | | | | In a nutshell, muscle imbalances work like this. Muscles |
| celebrations. The joy of a pregnancy is one of life's | | | | work together with opposing muscles to allow |
| greatest pleasures. Unfortunately however, for many | | | | movement at joints. One muscle stretches while the |
| women the later months of pregnancy can prove to | | | | other shortens. Each side should be of equal tone and |
| be quite challenging. One common problem many | | | | strength. When a pregnant woman walks, moves, |
| women face is lower back pain. | | | | bends, twists or sleeps she will typically do so in an |
| Lower back pain can be a horrible interruption in | | | | unbalanced and awkward manner to accommodate |
| day-to-day activities for a pregnant woman. More | | | | for her increased weight. In addition, various |
| importantly, it interferes with their quality of life, not | | | | everyday activities and positions we put our body in |
| to mention the enjoyment of one of the most | | | | create imbalances in the muscle groups and during |
| memorable times of their life. | | | | pregnancy it only worsens… |
| The obvious cause of lower back pain is the | | | | Muscle imbalances then pull the pelvis and low back |
| biomechanical stress being placed on the mother by | | | | out of alignment and this places uneven and |
| the added weight of baby. As the baby gains weight | | | | excessive stress on the muscles, bones and joints. |
| the mother is pulled forward. In order to compensate | | | | The spine is comprised of 24 moveable bones with a |
| for this forward pull, the mother has to lean her | | | | shock-absorbing disc in between each bone. This |
| upper body backward. This puts a tremendous | | | | spinal column rests on three large bones called the |
| amount of pressure on the low back and pelvis. | | | | pelvic girdle. When this spinal column is in proper |
| This explanation of low back pain sounds complete. It | | | | alignment it will carry a majority of the weight and |
| is a true explanation but is only a small part the | | | | stress being placed on the body. When one or more |
| problem. The "hidden" cause of lower back pain is | | | | of these 24 bones misaligns, especially the pelvis, the |
| actually muscle imbalances. In fact muscle imbalances | | | | muscles work overtime so to speak. They now have |
| are a common cause of lower back pain in pregnancy | | | | to carry the weight that the spinal column is |
| but it is also responsible for back pain in a majority of | | | | supposed to handle. At this point the muscles are |
| the population. | | | | unbalanced and are very prone to an injury. Lower |
| The strength and tone of the muscular system is an | | | | back pain is the most common expression of this |
| extremely important factor when assessing a patient | | | | problem. |
| with lower back pain. Unfortunately, muscle | | | | If the above scenario takes place then the stage has |
| imbalances are not addressed properly by most | | | | been set for lower back pain and dysfunction. Not |
| health practitioners… but just because they | | | | only does the soon to be Mom have to deal with |
| are not trained in identifying and addressing muscle | | | | safely carrying the baby, she has to now do it with a |
| imbalances, it doesn't mean you have to continue to | | | | painful lower back. Let's face it, the soon to be Mom |
| suffer… | | | | is going to be in pain and she is not going to enjoy |
| But before I share with you the solution to this | | | | her most cherished time in life. |
| problem, let me first explain in more detail what a | | | | |