Managing Back Pain During Your Pregnancy

Along with morning sickness, food cravings and weight gain, back pain can be a common complaint during pregnancy. There are a few things you can do, however, to prevent pregnancy-related back pain or manage your discomfort once it starts.

Preparing for a baby's birth can be an exciting time. But as any woman with a dog-eared copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting knows, a certain amount of physical discomfort is normal during pregnancy and, well, to be expected. Back pain is a common complaint in the months leading up to delivery, especially during the final trimester, but there are a few things you can do to manage your back pain so that you can keep the focus on what's most important — getting ready to welcome your new baby!

It's Not Just You...
According to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, more than 50% of pregnant women report low back pain at some point during their term; some studies have found the incidence to be as high as 70%. "The incidence of low back pain in pregnant women is well over double the incidence of back pain in those who are not pregnant in the same age group," says orthopaedic surgeon John G. Peters, MD, medical director of Medtronic, Inc., the world's leading spinal device company.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, women most frequently report low back pain later in their pregnancies, as the baby grows larger and heavier; however, some women also start feeling low back pain early in their term. Women who may be most at risk for developing back pain during their pregnancies are those who are overweight (though studies are inconclusive on this), or who experienced back pain prior to becoming pregnant. Women who lack flexibility and strength in their back and abdominal muscles and those carrying more than one baby also may be more susceptible.

Reference: www.back.com.

The information provided aims to provide educational purpose, if you have the described conditions as above, please consult your neurosurgeon.

Introduction of Neuropathic Pain?

Neuropathic pain is an inappropriate physiological response caused by a lesion or dysfunction in the peripheral nervous system or central nervous system. Unlike nociceptive pain, which is an appropriate physiological response to a painful stimulus, neuropathic pain can be either stimulus-independent or stimulus-evoked.

Assessment of Neuropathic Pain

The assessment of neuropathic pain can be challenging, as the aetiology and symptomatology of each neuropathic pain syndrome can vary greatly. Some conditions may also involve both neuropathic and nociceptive pain. Patient descriptions of neuropathic pain symptoms may include:

1. Continuous, burning pain
2. Dysaesthesia (abnormal and unpleasant sensations caused by spontaneous ectopic discharges along Aß fibres. Such sensations may be spontuneous or evoked)
3. Shooting or lancinating pain/sharp, tearing pain
4. Hyperalgesia (an increased response to a stimulus that is normally painful)
5. Allodynia (pain from a stimulus that is not always painful)
6. Paraesthesia (abnormal, but not unpleasant, sensations caused by spontaneous ectopic discharge along Aß fibres. Such sensations may occur in the absence of external stimuli)
7. Electric, shock-like pain

Patients with the same neuropathic pain syndrome often present with different symptoms and respond to the same therapy with varying degrees of success, thus complicating disease management. It has become clear that physicians should adopt a more symptom- and disease mechanism-based approach to selecting therapy.

Reference information: http://www.spineuniverse.com

The information above is used for educational purpose only, for any enquiries, please consult the neurosurgeon for medical advices.