Postpartum Recovery: What Is The Role Of Physiotherapy In The Support Of New Mothers?
Postpartum Recovery: What Is The Role Of Physiotherapy In The Support Of New Mothers?
It is recommended to consult your ob-gyn and a physiotherapist for a detailed assessment before you start any exercise routine to make sure that your healing is complete, and to prevent any kind of musculoskeletal injury.
Written By: Prerna Mittra | Published : September 17, 2024 8:06 PM IST
Medically Verified By: Priyanka Khanna, women's health physiotherapist and lactation consultant at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, New Delhi
One common mistake, especially among women, is overexerting themselves when suddenly feeling motivated. Without proper recovery, your body will not build muscle but lose it. You can do light yoga, stretching, or mobility drills these days.
The recovery period after the birth of a child can be a tad challenging for a new mother. The body goes through a lot of changes as it tries to adjust and return to its pre-pregnancy state. Many women experience discomforts during pregnancy and also in the postpartum period in the form of neck pain, back pain, pelvic pain, hand pain, or any other musculoskeletal pain. Doctors say that they can be cured by physiotherapy.
Changes In The Body During Pregnancy
Let us first understand what kind of changes take place in the body during pregnancy. According to Priyanka Khanna, women's health physiotherapist and lactation consultant at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, New Delhi, a mother's body goes through some major changes during pregnancy, which are:
Overall increase in body fluid;
Laxity of joints and ligaments due to the relaxin hormone;
Changes in the curvature of the lumbar spine;
Stretching of the abdominal muscles to accommodate the growing foetus;
Changes in the skin;
Weight gain
"Soon after the birth of the baby, these changes tend to get reversed, with the body returning to its original pre-pregnancy state. But, it depends on many factors like the type of pregnancy, the risks and complications involved, mode of delivery, etc. Accordingly, the mother may need care, attention and time to recover," Khanna explains.
What Is The Role Of A Physiotherapist In All This?
A physiotherapist can address some common concerns of a new mother. They are as follows:
Pain around the sutures: It can be reduced via electrotherapy modalities. Adhesions around the surgery scar can be reduced, thereby improving mobility. A physiotherapist applies various kinds of pressure that not only help to mobilise the scar but also help with the sensation around the scar area.
Back pain: It happens due to weak abdominals, tight back musculature, poor posture and lack of mobility after giving birth. Exercises that are lower in grade to strengthen the appropriate muscles, posture correction, etc., can help mothers.
Difficulty in resuming daily activities: It is accompanied by pain around the sutures. Learning correct pillow placements, rolling, pushing through the upper body, sitting and getting in and out of the bed can help the body distribute pressure uniformly.
Loose abdomen: A group of muscles in the abdomen tend to reduce in tone, elasticity, and strength. The stretching of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy causes the separation of the rectus abdominis muscle, which may sometimes give you a bulge. If this separation is more than 2 cm, it needs specific (diastasis recti friendly) exercises, the expert says.
Poor posture while breastfeeding (neck and hand pain): Learning correct postures to sit and breast-feed, to lift the child while changing the diaper, etc., can prevent muscle stiffness and malalignment of the joints. Along with correct posture practices, certain exercises like neck stretching, shoulder mobility exercises, forearm stretches allow the nerves to calm down, preventing numbness or tingling.
Confusion about starting exercises: The physiotherapist says a mother must allow her body to heal for about 4-6 weeks, and then start with basic mobility and muscle activation exercises. The intensity of the exercises can be increased from mild-to-moderate for the upper body, back and abdomen after 6 weeks. Moderate strength training can be started to strengthen the upper and lower body. Avoid lifting heavy weights. While weight training is an important part of exercise, the weights must be increased in a gradual manner. Cardio exercises like walking and brisk walking can be started after 6 weeks. Avoid high intensity interval training.
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