We all know the benefits that physiotherapy can provide to everyone from athletes to construction trade workers. In fact, just about anyone can benefit from a physiotherapy session and people will often schedule physiotherapy for a wide range of reasons. But can physiotherapy offer many of the same benefits to a pregnant mum both during and after her pregnancy?
There are many things that pregnant mums can’t do or must stop doing during their pregnancy, but physiotherapy isn’t one of them. In fact, doctors and other health officials recommend physiotherapy for their pregnant patients to help relieve the pain and discomfort often associated with pregnancy.
The pain and discomfort women feel during pregnancy is typically related to the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. They might experience difficulty holding urine, stools or wind, pain during intercourse, the feeling of increased pressure in the perineum, or diastasis of the rectus abdominis. Some women will experience more than one of these complications at a time which can make their pregnancy and childbirth miserable and have a negative impact on their mental and physical health.
How A Physiotherapist Can Help
During pregnancy and childbirth, the pelvic floor muscles, abdominal muscles, and soft tissues surrounding the pelvis will lengthen and stretch, and joints will become more hypermobile. Combined with the added weight of pregnancy including the baby, amniotic fluid, breasts, and others, issues such as a developing pelvic girdle, lower back pain, urinary incontinence, and pelvic floor dysfunction can result. If the muscles were already tight, weak, or affected by previous problems, the additional pregnancy and childbirth related issues can be compounded.
Just as with patients who are not pregnant, a physiotherapist will examine the new mum and create a custom tailored care plan which can offer the most relief in as little time as possible. A physiotherapist can help pregnant women prepare their bodies for pregnancy and help them strengthen the muscles of the lower back, abdominal area, and pelvic floor. This will not only ensure a much more comfortable pregnancy, but a more effective postpartum recovery as well.
Contact Physio Comes to You
To learn more ways physiotherapy can help during pregnancy and after childbirth, contact Physio Comes To You today and speak with a physiotherapy specialist who can answer any questions you might have.
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