Physical or Occupational Therapy Can Help Your Prenatal Care

Physical or occupational therapy is a great thing to add to any prenatal plan of care. A therapist working with you during your pregnancy can create a great fitness program so you stay active during your pregnancy. A therapist can also help prevent or treat the aches and pains that most women experience during pregnancy. Staying active during your pregnancy can make you feel better and make your pregnancy a lot less stressful.

Pregnancy can cause pain and discomfort as your body goes through many changes. Some of the changes that tend to cause pain include the release of the hormone relaxin that makes your ligaments loosen up during pregnancy. Weight gain can cause additional strain on your body and change the body’s center of gravity. Your overall posture will change during pregnancy and that can cause pain.

 

Pain commonly experienced during pregnancy includes:

  • Back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Hip pain
  • Sciatica
  • Muscle spasms
  • Piriformis syndrome
  • Sacroiliac joint problems
  • Foot pain

 

Recently women have been complaining of aches and pains with more frequency during pregnancy. Some women are living a sedentary lifestyle in modern times; this is one of the most likely causes of more pain being experienced during pregnancy. Lack of fitness makes the changes in the body and weight brought on by pregnancy much harder for the body to deal with creating more pain and discomfort for some women. Over 70% of women experience back pain at some point during their pregnancy.

Physical or occupational therapy can address and help prevent many of the issues that cause pregnant women pain. Benefits of therapy can also include increased physical endurance, more muscle strength, preparing the body for the physically demanding act of giving birth, reduced fatigue, and speeding up post birth recovery time.

Another great therapy option for pregnancy is aquatic therapy. While in the pool the water helps to support the body weight giving your body a break from all of the extra weight and stress. The warm 94-degree water is relaxing and still at a safe temperature for pregnancy. The pool will give you the ability to get therapy without having to worry about falling or balance issues associated with pregnancy.

The great thing about physical or occupational therapy is that it is a treatment that starts giving you results right away from the first visit. This is a service covered by most insurance companies, so in many cases you can get therapy with little out of pocket cost to you. In many states such as Minnesota you can become a physical or occupational therapy patient without a doctors referral.

If you are pregnant and would like to have a more pleasant pregnancy and possibly set yourself up for an easier birth make an appointment at IMPACT today. Give us a call at 651-646-7246 or email us at info@impactpm.com to make an appointment or ask us any questions.

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