Your health and energy before and after marriage are completely different. In fact after giving birth, your body reacts to pain differently too. Which is why some of the common causes of body aches include pregnancy and labour.
Body aches such as back pain and joint pain are often associated with parenting mainly because having a child requires a lot of physical effort.
You’ll be surprised by various lifting activities you have to do with your little one. From being a nursing mother to waking up in the middle of the night to calm down your crying baby.
There are many other causes that contribute to these body aches and pains. However there are 3 main types of body and joint pains that parents commonly experience. Here are the common causes and how to deal with them effectively!
Common causes of body aches experienced by parents
Studies show that engaging in tasks involving awkward positions such as carrying your child, can increase the risk of developing back pain. According to Anna Ribaudo, physical therapist from NYC Hospital, there are six causes of back aches experienced by parents and ways to overcome them.
Breastfeeding
Mothers who breastfeed their babies are more likely to get back pain due to uncomfortable body position. What you need to do is to choose a seating with back support, and position your baby on a pillow in your lap, so you don’t have to lean forward when breastfeeding. Before a breastfeeding session, you can try to massage your shoulder and move your shoulders clockwise. This helps to activate your muscles and support the back of your body.
Lifting your child from the crib
It mostly affects your waist. All you have to do is stand, keep your feet hip-width apart lightly, and pull your child towards you. Then bend with your knees as your lift your child to your arms.
Put your child in a high chair
It seems trivial but this movement gives a major impact to your spine. First of all, remove the tray on the chair, then gently put her on it. Avoid shimmy her in a narrow space between the seat and tray.
Lifting your child off the floor
Don’t bend over! Parents tend to make this mistake over and over. Instead squat down and level yourself to your child before picking him up off the floor. Try to get up as slowly as you can. Bonus point, it’s a great light exercise for your back.
Buckling your child into the car seat
Your actions that involve bending can eventually affect your spine. Do avoid installing the carseat from outside. Practice fitting it in while you are in the car. Sit down next to the carseat with your child in your lap, then lift your child up and place him on the seat as usual. This step involves only the body being slightly rotated. It takes a longer time, however it protects your body from getting back pain in the long run.
Use a stroller
Whenever possible, pick up your child from the stroller by using a squatting position. When pushing the stroller, try to stand tall. Research shows that when you constantly slouch, it throws off your spine alignment. This causes your muscles and ligaments to strain in keeping you balanced.
Types of back aches
Sprain
It is a ligament injury that is often caused by a sudden twist or fall. A strain is an injury to your muscle or tendon that results from prolonged repetitive movements. The pain will stay in your back, but it does not interfere with your body movement, yet it feels intense whenever you start doing the heavy work.
Slipped disc
Commonly known as hernia, bulging or ruptured disc, they are all the same. It happens when your body lifts a load or you fall, suddenly. This results in the displacement of nucleus pulposus from the center of the disc. “This can cause the body limbs to become numb/weak especially from your lower back to your bottom. If this happens to your neck, your shoulder and arms will be numb. When you try to look back, it will only make things worse,” said Peter G. Whang, MD., Associate Professor of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation of Yale School of Medicine. For some people, the symptoms mimic back sprain or sciatica, in which case the doctor may recommend an MRI scan for an accurate diagnosis.
Sciatica
Commonly happen to moms in their third trimester of pregnancy, sciatica occurs when a slipped disc pressed directly on the sciatica nerve. It too can cause the loosening of ligaments. The pain level however is different to each individual, sometimes it can just cause a mild ache, on the other hand it can lead to severe pain. Sometimes it stays only on one side of the body from your lower back to your bottom and legs.
How to feel better
No matter how you hurt yourself, the road to recovery is the same. If the pain is getting worse, seek your doctor’s advice immediately. For recurring pain, you can try these home remedies:
Apply ice or heat pack
For a mild back pain and body ache, you can try to treat it at home yourself. Apply an ice pack on the body or heat pack to relieve the pain. It’s a great therapy to relieve muscle tense.
Lie down
Bed rest helps to bounce back your body. Most doctors will recommend curling up in bed for a period of time in order to heal spine injury or sciatica. If your back hurts, take a break and lie down. The pain will eventually go away without any invasive treatment.
Use Perozin cream
A home remedy is not complete with using cream that helps with the pain in your muscles and joints.
When applied the cream has a cooling effect, which makes the skin feels cooler and it eases the pain quickly.
Apply the cream on your lap and massage the painful area once to three times a day. For best results, apply the cream before and after a hot bath. It gives a lasting relief effect and you can play and carry your child again!
Disclaimer: Only for external use, keep away from children.
If you would like to know more about Perozin cream, click here.