Pain and Pregnancy
Aches and pains are common in pregnancy. But, severe
pelvic and back pain is something you should not
just have to live with until delivery day. Your body
is going through constant changes, beginning as early
as 6 weeks. The body produces a hormone called relaxin
to loosen ligaments allowing the pelvis to make room
for baby and expand to release your little bundle
of joy! Relaxin is not pelvic ligament
specific and as a result instability can occur in
any joint. This instability
can cause pain in the neck, back and hips. Your muscles
also need to work harder to support joints and carry
extra weight. Physical therapists can teach you how
to stabilize these areas with exercise and treat painful
segments so you can continue your pregnancy comfortably.
Hormonal changes remain for up to a year after pregnancy,
longer if you continue to nurse. Stabilization
exercises need to continue long after your
baby is home. A comprehensive program of exercise
can help you get through your 9 months of pregnancy
and beyond.
 Incontinence
After Pregnancy
Leaking urine during or after pregnancy is not unusual,
but it isn't something you have to accept as "normal."
Pregnancy and delivery can increase pressure on pelvic
floor muscles, stretching them and causing
weakness. Weak pelvic floor muscles can make bladder
control difficult. If you leak, even a little with
sneezing, coughing, laughing or straining, you have,
what is referred to as stress incontinence
and can be helped with pelvic floor strength training.
This may not be something you feel comfortable talking
about, but speak to your doctor about a short course
of physical therapy if you have these symptoms, to
teach you what you need to know to get control.
Urge Incontinence
Do you ever get home from work and suddenly found yourself
fumbling wildly for your keys to the front door because
you are sure you are not going to make it to the bathroom?
Do you ever go to the bathroom "just in case"
before you go out because you are afraid you won't
"make it" until you get to your destination?
If so, you may have a condition known as urge
incontinence. This is not uncommon. Don’t
be afraid to talk about this with your doctor, it
can often be treated without medication. You didn't
enter this world potty-trained and you can change
your current habits. A few visits to physical therapy,
with a therapist trained to treat incontinence, can
teach you to re-train your bladder. You can learn
how to wait before voiding and avoid bladder irritants
such as caffeine. Schedule and dietary changes can
help you get back in control of your bladder.
Stress Incontinence
It is not normal to leak urine while running, sneezing,
laughing, coughing or straining. Most people probably
think of bladder incontinence as total loss of control
of ones bladder. But bladder incontinence is any leakage
of urine that is not under your control. Stress
incontinence, as this is known, is common and
highly treatable. You need not suffer. You can learn
to re-train your bladder, just like you did as a child.
In physical therapy you learn to strengthen your pelvic
floor musculature to control your external sphincter
(the "off faucet").
Mixed Incontinence
A combination of urge and stress incontinence is called
mixed incontinence. Mixed
incontinence is best treated with a combination of
muscle re-education, dietary guidelines and behavior
management.
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