Scoliosis & Back Pain During Pregnancy

I would definitely recommend chiropractic. It's proven to help with pregnancy back related issues. You may want to continue after the baby comes, too! I know scoliosis is no fun to live with.
P.

I would recomend a chiropractor. They can help with back adjustments and they could probably give you some excersises to do.
P.

I went to the chiropractor throughout my entire pregnancy with twins. He was great and kept me in alignment with no pain. I had two babies weighing 7lbs 10 oz. and 6 lbs 5 oz so I carried a lot of weight with no pain.

I found that prenatal massage helped alleviate the pain as well as prenatal yoga. Although both minimized it, but did not make it go away entirely. I am not sure where you live, but Area Yoga and Mala Yoga in Brooklyn both offer prenatal classes. Your instructor should be able to show you positions which can hopefully alleviate some of the pain.

I had a fantastic experience at Providence Day Spa for the massage, also in brooklyn or you can go to Edamame Spa in midtown. While I have not tried it, others have recommended acupuncture.

Being EXTREMELY uncomfortable is all part of the joys of pregnancy. Since you are only in your first trimester I hate to tell you this but you are only going to feel more and more uncomfortable as you get further along. As with any pain you should always contact your doctor and see what they say.

Hi A.,

I have scoliosis and was braced as a kid. I'm 30 now and I had my baby about a year and a half ago. I didn't have a lot of back pain then, but I tend to now, after her birth. I have a heating pad that I keep by the bed for the worst nights. My company gave me a new chair for back support at work. I also have a back friendly mattress! I'm also guessing that my weight gain does not help, as extra weight tends to make scoliosis worse. During my pregnancy, I walked 2.5 miles a day. It helped keep my weight down, while I ate everything in sight, and helped keep me active. Exercise and flexibility were the key things my doctors used to tell me about my back. Try swimming, it's one of the best activities for scoliosis. You can also try a chiropractor or masseuse. They do have tables to accomodate the "belly." Have your significant other give you a back rub and of course.....try to lie flat on your back at night, if you're only in the first trimester, it shouldn't make a difference how you lay right now. Make sure you walk and sit up straight, don't slouch and push your shoulders back. It's actually relieving! Try it! I don't know how severe your scoliosis is, but if it really gets bad, send me an e-mail and I will call the hospital that treated me and get some tips for you. I'm a life long member now...I've been going there since I was 10!!! Imagine that! Let me know how you do. I wish the best for you!

J.

You could try acupuncture. Also pelvic tilts to strengthen your lower back. Sorry to be pessimistic but this is only going to get worse as your belly gets bigger unless you can strengthen your lower back in some way. To do a pelvic tilt, stand up and bend your knees slightly. Then push your pelvis out in front of you, tucking your buttocks under. Try several in repitition and increase the amount over time. It's the best thing for sciatica.

Hi A.!

I can relate whole-heartedly to what you are feeling. My back pain was so bad at the beginning of my pregnancy that I thought I might be bed-ridden if it continued (I'm 37 weeks now with my first - a little girl :-)).

Here are a few things that worked for me:
1. Chiropractic - be sure they have adjusted pregnant women before
2. Tennis Ball- Actually lay on it and as odd as it sounds allow it to work out the tight muscles in your back.
3. Check your prenatal - mine had too much DHA (Omega 6's) and not enough EPA (Omega 3's) and I was actually having an inflammatory response to them. Once I changed prenatal vitamins, the pain decreased considerably.
4. Showers - Lots of them and very warm, even hot were great to relax my muscles enough so I could get to sleep with less pain.
5. Traumeel - it's a homeopathic cream or gel that you can get in your healthfood store that is great for inflammation and it works quickly so it's great right before bed to alleviate some of the pain and let you at least get to sleep or in the morning to help you get your day going.

I tried massage and it actually made me feel worse, but maybe you'll have more luck. Also, I wanted to try yoga, but I was in way too much pain to even think about it. I've heard that is great, too.

I know how debilitating this pain can be, so I wish you all the best and hope that one of my suggestions help.

Best in Health,
A.

i had the same symptoms. try physical therapy. it works.

Sounds like your siatica. My daughter is 20 yrs old and have had problems with my siatica ever since. You can do some stretching exercises, but sounds like the baby is sitting on this nerve.

Hi A.--I am a physical therapist and I highly recommend Julie Tupler's Maternal Fitness program. If you can go to a workshop it would be best, but regardless of whether you do that or buy her video she teaches very important concepts to prevent/manage back pain, prepare you for labor and help you recover more quickly after childbirth. The only downside is you have to REALLY work at it and follow the program. But I know people who have done incredibly well through pregnancy and zip/pop thru labor. You can do well with Pilates, but need to be careful you don't do abdominal work incorrectly or you will develop a diastasis--which is largely what you will learn about with The Tupler Technique. I also found doing a prenatal yoga class to be very helpful--also something you could find at Tupler's Spa Bebe, or there's one given at around E. 53rd Street off 3rd(?) in Manhattan. Check out spabebe.com online and see what she offers. I am relocating my office and will be posting that on mamasource as soon as I do--I specialize in women's health issues. Let me know how you fare and if I can be of help. Good luck!
P.S. Just looked thru some of the other responses and I agree that a good chiroprator who sees a LOT of pregnant women could be a good short term option. Make sure he/she uses muscle energy techniques instead of the more aggressive adjustment techniques. You still need to address the underlying issues which includes abdominal/paraspinal weakness aggrevated by the scoliosis.

Hi there
I would get a complete medical evaluation from your MD/OBGYN to rule out other medical causes of back pain first. If that is clear, ask to be referred to a physiatrist who can prescribe a physical therapy program for you including swimming, riding a stationary bike, massage, heat/cold therapy, appropriate back/abd muscles, etc. He/she maybe can help prescribe aides such as a body pillow for sleeping and back/abd. belts to help support your growing belly. Additionally they may want to send you to a nutritionist if weight is an issue. Also please check with your provider before using meds - Aspirin and NSAIDS(ex.Advil) should not be used. Tylenol is OK - but still I would check with them first as I do not know your medical/allergy history. Hope this is helpful - given your situation - having back pain so early and your scoliosis - I would definitely have a medical provider overseeing your care - try not to go it alone.
Jenn

Congrats on your pregnancy, I have had 2 boys that were over 8.5 lbs, and I have scoliosis. I was also braced for most of my teen years. The pain was awful during my pregnancies, so I can sympathies but what worked for me was
1. Stretching the hamstring and back
2. With my first I did nothing but stretch with the second I went to a chiropractor
3. By a belly /back support.
These are all thing that helped me, also my DH rubbed my back every night and I propped as many pillows as I could around me to support by ballooning belly. Also I recommend keeping your weight under check. I gained 60lbs with my first and only 35 with the second. The back pain with the second was less than the 1st, but he sprained my hip because he was so big.

I've had similar back pain in the first trimester with both of my pregnancies and if it's any consolation it was temporary in both...(I'm in my second trimester of pregnancy 2 now and it's much better already!) - with my first child I visited a chiropracter which helped a little...I eventually gave up on them and time made the biggest difference! Hang in there! Hope you feel better soon!

Dear A.,

I have slight scolosis, and when I was pregnant I did experience back pain. I have two recommendataions for you... (1) Go see a Chiropractor - I currently am seeing one and I see a lot of pregnant women in his office. He can help to alleviate the pressure on your spine. (2) Yoga - there are pregnancy yoga classes and also there are some really good videos. I did the pregnancy yogo when I was pregnant both times. It really helps. I had back labor with both my pregnancies and the chiropractor and yoga really helped me, and still do.

I wish you all the best of luck and I hope your back pain subsides.

Because of the location of your sciatic nerve, this is just another "symptom" of preganancy. Actually, the pain may even get worse as the little guy gets bigger-sorry. Sometimes it get's kind of hard to stand up. I had a spinal cord injury prior to having my kids but made it thru 2 pregnancies with little problem because I kept up some exersizes that my chiropractor gave me to stregthen BOTH back and stomach muscles. They are too difficult to describe here, but you can get a brochure from a chiropractor, your OB/Gyn, or even check for some on-line.
Don't just sit there and take it-talk to your doctor. I know some days it felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer to my spine.
Good Luck-get proff. help!
M. P

I had weekly massages that really helped me ease the aches and pains of pregnancy. Give it a try.

I have one leg shorter than the other and this caused lots of back pain when I was pregnant. I found help 3 ways- first, I bought a pair of orthopedic shoes that made a HUGE difference. Secondly, I saw a very gentle chiropractor who agreed not to do x-rays. Third, I practiced good posture and read up about pregnancy postures and how they effect baby position on spinningbabies.com.

It's wonderful that you are trying to attend to your back pain issues now- if unaddressed, poor spinal health can lead to poor positioning of the baby which could complicate or lengthen labor.

Hi A.,

From a personal experience of pain from Scholiasts (minor) and three herniated discs I know that it is too much of a pain at times. Personally I go to physical therapy as soon as it starts hurting, cause I know it is stiff. the only thing they can do is stretch my back and I continue with every day exercise fro years I have been dealing with this pain and I know how painful it can be. I can only tell you to stretch every time you can and try not to sit for long periods of time along not carrying heavy items.
Good luck.

Hi, A.. During my pregnancy, the doctor sent me to a physical therapist to deal with the problems that occurred as the result of my spine having a twist in it from undiagnosed scoliosis. The therapist had me stand parallel to a wall and arch my back in towards the wall and hold for three minutes. I was told to do this as often as my back bothered me. It pain was horrible. However, the benefit outways the pain. The more often I did the exercise, the better I felt. As I continued to do it, I could go longer between them. I hope that you feel better soon.

Massages. I had them once a month for the last 6 mos of my pregnancy. They helped quite a bit. However, there are LOTS of pressure points that should be avoided during pregnancy, as they can induce labor. So make sure you go to someone who has experiece in massaging pregnant women.

A.
Stretching and massage will help tremendously
Not sure where you live, but be selective about who you go to. Ask questions and get referrals from other moms who are expecting. You want someone who has been working on expectant moms for some time
Best of luck
D. Kelly

A.,

Have you tried going to a Chiropractor? I went once a month during both of my pregnancies and never had any back pain. My sister did the same for her 3 kids. Keeps everything aligned. I always felt better when I left. Even helped w/ my headaches while pregnant!

Good luck!

C. :)

Have you ever considered visiting a chiropractor?
I had back pain and my right toe that went asleep/numb-- (this was going on for 6 months) after a series of sessions and finding the right chiropractor-- my back is much better.
I was so hesitant at first to be adjusted-- but find the right Dr. that takes the time to do the thermo-scan (you won't want the x-rays right now) but it helped me tremendously.

Just a thought -- and you can be adjusted during pregnancy!

I HIGHLY recommend seeing a Chiropractor. I have had back issues, including scoliosis, for years but during my pregnancy last year, I experienced some MAJOR problems. My lower back became terribly aggravated and I couldn't walk for over a month. Do NOT wait - go see a Chiropractor.

A good massage therpaist could help as well. Those muscles are being pulled to accomodate your growing belly. Massage could help alleviate some of the pain as well as making it easier for the Chirporactor to make an adjustment.

Hi A., you might want to try some light hands on physical therapy, ask your OB. The therapists are trained in all areas and it really might work for you. Also, yoga is great while pregnant. Pick up one of those big green or purple yoga balls and try some stretching in the am & pm before going to bed. But i would definately go with professional help like i mentioned above. Oh, and stay away from chiropractors its a temp relief but could sometimes make you feel worse and you are already going to feel worse being that you are only in your first trimester. Congrats & Good Luck!
J. B.

Welcome to the joys of pregnancy. There is a whole pile of symptoms no one tells you about until you're pregnant...otherwise you'd never get pregnant! If you're having pain early on it may have to do with you pelvis widening. Your pelvis is making room to support the baby for the rest of the pregnany and with its widening, everything shifts. Hopefully at somepoint your body will acclimate itself to the change, unfortunately mine did not until the last 7 weeks of my pregnancy, which at that point I felt amazing (big, but amazing!). I had some sort of back/hip pain from my first trimester on. Hang in there, it's totally worth it!

I would try prenatal yoga, or at least doing some yoga poses. Transitioning properly from cat to cow and back again always helped me.

Also, make sure your hamstrings and tush muscles are well stretched - if those are tight, they can pull on your lower back muscles causing pain. I also did the butterfly stretch (sitting on the floor with the soles of your feet touching, and pushing your knees towards the floor). The spot where you feel the pain isn't always the source of the problem!

I would also suggest trying a chiropractor. I went during both of my pregnancies, and found it really made a difference. The hormones in your body (that loosen your ligaments) and increasing weight in the front of your body can do a number on your lower back, and there were times when an adjustment made all the difference.

Good luck!!

go see a chiropractor. This is what we specialize in. Pregnant women can get adjusted just as well as anyone else with absolutely no risk of doing anything bad to the baby! Depending on how preg you are, and your feelings about being adj, it can be done with NO force what so ever and depending on the chiropractors table, you can even be on your stomach for the first time in a long time. That feels SO good. I adjust many preg women but I am located in Manhattan (56 and Park). Find a chiro around your house and go get relief!!
S.

Have you spoken to your doctor,

I had pelvic symphis dysfunction,

which basically was a pain in my BUTT LOL

It felt painful to sit, and then painful to stand up again and I walked sort of bent or hunched over LOL it wass terrible,

I don't have scoliosis, but It was terribly painful, everyone of my pregnancies were.

There is a Back brace

http://www.vitalityweb.com/backstore/mom-ez.htm

this is just one picture, of one type, you can find them everywhere and if you have an RX some ins co's will pay for it.

http://www.docortho.com/supports-and-braces/maternity-bra...

here are a few others. they look crazy but they DO WORK.

M

I am a person with Scoliosis. I had the back pain while I was pregnant with my son. The only way that I found to be able to get out of bed with out the back pain was to roll onto my side than put my feet on the floor and stand up. You can't take anything for the pain without talking to your dr. so I would suggest you talk to him or her. The Pain will be worth the wait for your little bundle of Joy.

While my pain didn't start until the end of my first pregnancy, it was mild enough that Tylenol took care of it...then as my daughter reached about a year old, it got much worse-like you, it got to the point where I had lots of trouble rolling over or getting out of bed. My chiropractor straightened me out, so to speak, and I love her to death. I saw one person's answer-skeptical about chiropractors-and initially, I was skeptical, too, and I did have to go get "cracked" a lot in the beginning-three times a week to start. However, it worked! I am now down to a visit once every couple of months, and what pain I do have is now relatively mild and fleeting. (My condition is worse, though-I have a degenerate disk, and that doesn't go away. Yours will go away once you have the baby.) Hang in there and good luck!

I would try to find a chirpractor in your area that knows how to treat pregnant women. I had the same thing during my third pregnancy and found it very helpful. A massage wouldn't hurt either. Some MT have special tables for pregnant women. Good luck!

Hi A., I can totally relate to what you are going through. I had the same kind of back pain when I was pregnant with my son, who is now 14!!! My mother in law told me it was just because I was having a boy and she was right! Well, the back pain did not persist through the whole pregnancy, once I was through the first trimester it went away. Hopefully you will be as lucky. If not, just know it is probably just due to your increased hormones, which is normal. Talk to your doctor about it though, just to be safe. Good luck!

A. - I see so far you have gotten a lot of advice but I wanted to offer a suggestion as well.

Lots of people have said see a chiropractor. I have an issue with someone 'cracking' me in general and I believe once you start to get adjusted you have to go all the time. Since I didn't like that idea, I went a slightly different route.

When I was preg with my first son, I started to get such bad back pain, and ultimately ended up one day doubled over and unable to stand up straight. My OB recommended me to a fantastic Physical Therapist (PT) who happens to be a woman who now specializes in pregnant women. After she had her own first kid she realized what pain women go through and now she treats pregs as her specialty. She is fantastic!

If you happen to be on Long Island I can send you her information if you want to go see her. Otherwise if you like the idea of a PT you can certainly ask your OB if they can recommend one in your area. Depending on your health insurance you may need your OB to write you a referral anyway.

Good luck and be well !

Hi A.. Congratulations!

I don't have Scoliosis but I fell during one of my pregnancies and hurt my back and during the subsequent pregnancies my back would be killing be at the end of the day. I don't like to take medication while I'm pregnant and my doctor recommended warm heat. I found that it worked really well.

Take a towel and wet it and then place in the microwave for a minute or so until it is hot to the touch but not burning. Sit in a comfortable chair, put your feet up and place the hot towel on your back.

Toward the end of my pregnancies I would have to sleep in a recliner as it would be so painful to get out of bed.

Good luck!