Becoming a parent is one of the most rewarding experiences, but it can also take its toll on your body. It’s not uncommon for new parents to experience back pain, especially in the first year. This is due to the physical demands of caring for a baby and the lack of sleep that comes with it. Left untreated, back pain can lead to long-term issues that can limit your mobility. Here, we’ll discuss why back pain is so common among new parents and how you can manage it.
Why Does Being a Parent Cause Back Pain?
First and foremost, carrying around your baby all day puts strain on your back muscles as you adjust to their weight. This can lead to pain in your lower back or shoulders as you try to maintain good posture while holding them or pushing them in a stroller. In addition, if you have an infant who needs frequent feedings throughout the night, this can cause additional strain on your neck and upper back as you hunch over their crib. Finally, many new parents don’t get enough rest during the night because they are up with their babies or worrying about them. Lack of sleep leads to fatigue which makes it harder for your body to support itself while doing everyday tasks like carrying your child or picking them up from their crib.
All these factors combined can lead to chronic back pain if not managed properly.
How Can I Manage My Back Pain?
If you are experiencing back pain as a parent, there are several ways that can help:
1) Make sure that you take time for yourself each day to stretch and practice mindful breathing. Back pain exercises will help relieve tension from your muscles and help reduce stress levels. Low-impact activities like Yoga and Pilates can be great ways to strengthen your core muscles, which in turn can help reduce strain on your lower back. The deep breathing techniques used during yoga will also help you relax and refocus, something that’s hard to come by when you have a newborn at home. Additionally, you can perform simple stretches throughout the day like toe touches, trunk rotations, or glute bridges to loosen up your muscles and give them some relief from sitting or standing in one position too long.
2) Try using heat treatments such as warm baths or heating pads; this will relax tight muscles and improve circulation so that oxygen-rich blood can reach areas of inflammation more easily.
3) Physical Therapy – one of the most effective treatments for chronic back pain. A licensed physical therapist will take into account your medical history, lifestyle, and any other factors that may be affecting your back health. From there, they will create an individualized treatment plan that typically includes exercises designed to strengthen weakened muscles in order to reduce strain on the spine, as well as stretches to loosen tight muscles in order to restore flexibility and range of motion. Physical therapists are also trained in different modalities such as massage, electrical stimulation, ultrasound therapy, or even aquatic therapy, all of which can help reduce inflammation and tenderness in the affected areas.
4) Lastly, make sure that you get adequate rest. When we don’t get enough sleep, not only do we feel bad physically, but our mental health suffers as well. That’s why it’s so important for new moms and dads to prioritize self-care by getting plenty of rest whenever possible.
Back pain is an unfortunate side effect of parenting that many new moms and dads have to deal with during their transition into parenthood. However, there are plenty of back pain treatments available to help ease discomfort so you can focus on enjoying the parenthood. Although being a parent brings its own unique set of challenges and rewards, learning how to stay healthy should always be a priority so that every member of the family is happy.
