Topics in Women’s Health: Physical Therapy and Postpartum Recovery

Can Physical Therapy Help Me?

Physical therapy is can be an excellent way to ease a woman’s recovery from childbirth. It can also help to promote a healthy and happy time with new baby.  Many women believe most issues that are present after childbirth are normal. Several issues may be common, however, they may not be normal.  Physical therapy can help with low back pain and pelvic pain. It can also help with posture and body mechanics while caring for a baby. The therapist can also address incontinence, and cesarean scar management.

Pain and Pregnancy

Ignoring back or pelvic pain during pregnancy or after giving birth is not advised. Women with back pain during pregnancy are at a greater risk for back pain after childbirth. If it is not treated it can lead to worse pain in the future. Back and pelvic issues after delivery may be due to pelvic floor problems or abdominal weakness. Pain may also be due to diastasis recti, and/or postures during childcare tasks. Pelvic and abdominal pain can also be experienced after a c-section. This occurs if the scar is not healing correctly. It can also occur if significant scar tissue is present. Scar tissue in the lower abdominal area can make it difficult for the muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor to work together and  move correctly. This sometimes causes pain and subsequent weakness.

Pelvic Dysfunction

Along with pelvic pain, women may also suffer from other issues associated with pelvic dysfunction. This includes different types of incontinence.  Women often say “I leak urine when I cough, sneeze, laugh, jump, or run. But I guess that’s what happens when you have a baby”.  This can happen after pregnancy and childbirth, but it is fixable.  Pregnancy and childbirth can strain and sometimes injure the pelvic floor muscles. This may cause problems for up to 4-6 weeks postpartum.  If problems continue past 6 weeks, a woman should request a referral to a women’s health physical therapist. A PT trained in pelvic floor rehab can help you perform kegels correctly and effectively. They can also offer other suggestions for pelvic floor health.

Back and Shoulder Pain

Lastly, the change in the way a woman’s body weight is distributed after giving birth, and the new physical demands of taking care of a child or multiple children, can cause upper back, shoulder, and lower back pain.  These issues may be due to weak, stretched out muscles or the way the body is aligned during childcare tasks. A home evaluation can determine whether or not the nursery or feeding area is set up appropriately to decrease strain to the back and shoulders.

The Physical Therapist’s Role

A women’s health physical therapist can safely and effectively evaluate these areas. They will develop a plan to resolve back or pelvic pain sooner rather than later. It may also be helpful to have an assessment of positioning during feeding. If you have any questions, a women’s health physical therapist should be able to help. Don’t suffer with pain and discomfort, especially if it can be helped.