Calling all moms! If you are experiencing pain and discomfort after childbirth, please know that you are not alone and that our friendly physical therapists at Results Physiotherapy are here to help!
It is normal to feel overwhelmed after having a child; after all, juggling a baby as well as healing from postpartum pain can be daunting. In fact, one in seven women will experience postpartum depression within the first year after giving birth. It’s important to take baby steps when healing from your delivery and your physical therapist can help you heal any pain you are experiencing or any pelvic health concerns you may have.
According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Untreated pain [after childbirth] is associated with a risk of greater opioid use, postpartum depression, and development of persistent pain.”
Knowing that there are several complications after pregnancy and child-birth which could happen, it’s always a good idea to know what options are available for postpartum relief. Physical therapy has been shown to help new moms get over some of the complications that can arise from childbirth and get back to doing the things they love faster. What are the most common postpartum pains, and how can physical therapy help?
After delivering your baby, during the post-partum phase, your uterus will contract in an effort to bring your abdomen back to the pre-pregnancy size. These muscle contractions can cause mild-to-severe pain in the lower abdomen. This contraction period usually occurs within the six weeks after child birth. This abdominal pain occurs most frequently during breastfeeding because the body releases a chemical called oxytocin, which is a hormone that causes contractions in the uterus.
If you have found that you’re dealing with abdominal pain, physical therapy can help you identify what’s going on and get on a treatment program that is designed to alleviate those symptoms.
Postpartum Depression
There are approximately 4 million births each year, and with this exciting number of new lives being brought into the world, the rate of postpartum depression is said to fall between 10-20 percent of new moms. Often times if women ignore or do not find a way to soothe their post-childbirth pains, postpartum depression may appear.
Sara Rosenquist, Ph.D. states that 50 percent of men whose partners are suffering from postpartum depression will also become depressed. So postpartum depression can affect both men and women! There are many different reasons women can feel postpartum depression which usually revolves around hormone changes, feeling overwhelmed, and losing a familiar sense of self.
One way to ease the transition and connect back to your pre-baby body is physical therapy, which can help develop a personalized exercise plan to get your body (especially the pelvic floor and abdomen) back where it was previously. New mothers who work to get back to their pre-baby body through physical therapy can work towards feeling confident in their skin once again and face those depression symptoms head-on.
Physical activity and fitness is a great way for you to take your mind off of unhealthy thoughts, which is another fantastic reason why physical therapy is great for new moms if they find that they’re feeling depressed or upset about their post-baby body. Working with a physical therapist who can help you get back to your pre-baby body and assist you with getting the blood pumping through exercise is a great way for you to refocus some of that mental energy into more productive methods.
Tailbone, Hip and Pelvic Pain
It’s natural for your body to change when you are carrying and birthing a baby. There is tremendous pressure and expansion in these areas, which if not treated, can turn into pain in other areas as well. This discomfort should not be ignored. With the help of physical therapy exercise and coping mechanisms, the pain can subside. Tailbone, hip, and pelvic pain are some of the most common areas in which women find that they feel pain or soreness after recent childbirth, which is why it’s essential to make sure that they’re taking the necessary steps to work towards alleviating pain in those areas.
After nine months of carrying a baby, the muscles of the pelvic floor are stressed and stretched following childbirth. Often times in women, this can lead to urinary and fecal incontinence. Luckily there are ways to build these muscles back up to where they were pre-pregnancy that a physical therapist can teach you how to do in the comfort of your own home, in your car, or even while shopping.
Did you know that 1 in 100 women become consistent opioid users are childbirth? Often times after birth, new mothers will be prescribed opioids to soothe discomfort and pain. This can pose an issue due to the addictive nature of opioids; a government study in 2017 discovered that the rate of addiction increases after just three days of use.
A study conducted by Dr. Alex Friedman Peahle, M.D. observed the number of women with private health insurance who were prescribed opioids. The rate of women in America who were prescribed an opioid after a C-section was 76%, quite higher than the 27% of vaginal deliveries. The large gap in the percentage of opioid dosages can be attributed to the difference in pain and recovery time with a C-section compared to a vaginal birth.
Since these drugs are so highly addictive, it is worth looking into other options when overcoming post-partum pain? Can physical therapy help combat this opioid crisis?
Physical therapy can help new moms through a variety of ways including restoring muscle function, restoring a loss of strength, and reduce the dependency on opioids. Physical therapy can help new mothers alleviate pain associated with post-pregnancy symptoms like lower back pain, knee pain, pelvic pain, and hip pain.
A Vanderbilt University study was conducted in 2018 marking the correlation between opioid prescriptions to moms’ post childbirth and the addiction to opioids thereafter. This study analyzed 102,541 women in the Tennessee area and the findings were impactful; if the results of this study were expanded to the whole of the United States, 21,000 women each year would be estimated to become addicted to opioids after postpartum prescriptions for pain.
Can physical therapy help combat this overuse of opioids and other post-pregnancy concerns? The answer is yes!
If you’ve recently had a child and you’re looking to alleviate some of the postpartum pain and get back to your pre-baby body, then physical therapy can help you do just that. Our friendly pelvic health staff at Results Physiotherapy is expertly trained to treat joint discomfort and pelvic pain which is incredibly common among moms. A few of the most common things we see in our new mom patients are: belly issues, the desire to return to exercise, body pains, and posture.
Here is how our Mommy Bounce Back Program works, after visiting your obstetrician, he or she will refer you to Results. We will give you a call to discuss what you’re going through and schedule an appointment with you usually within 48 hours. Our team is here to support you every step of the way so you no longer need to struggle through your post childbirth pain alone. Each of your 6-8 visits will be private one-on-one care with your physical therapist, and we will evaluate your progress at every visit and make adjustments as needed to make you feel most comfortable.
We understand the lives of busy moms, which is why we have created convenient appointment hours and hassle-free rescheduling if something comes up. Additionally, you do not need to wait on a doctor’s referral to receive our treatments, which saves time and money. Lastly, we encourage you to bring your baby to your visit with us and we have private treatment rooms for your convenience.
Being a mother is a difficult and rewarding job; our team is committed to providing all of our moms with the highest quality care and support to help you enjoy this time with your new baby. Schedule an appointment today to seek postpartum relief with physical therapy!
