That pregnancy changes nearly every part of the body is an understatement! As the baby grows, your posture shifts, weight distribution changes, and hormones that loosen joints and ligaments in preparation for childbirth put additional stress on the muscles, pelvis, and spine. Most women expect varying degrees of discomfort during pregnancy and delivery, but what many don’t expect is how much aches and pains can be improved postpartum with physical therapy.
Postpartum rehabilitation is rarely discussed as part of routine care. Many new mothers might hear suggestions about performing Kegel exercises but receive little guidance on whether they are doing them correctly or whether Kegels are even the right exercise for their needs. Likewise, women with diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles that commonly develops during pregnancy, may unknowingly perform exercises that increase pressure on the abdomen and make the condition worse.
Pregnancy and postpartum physical therapy provides individualized treatment to help women move comfortably during pregnancy and recover after childbirth. Whether you’re expecting your first baby or years removed from delivery, it’s never too early – or too late – to seek treatment for pregnancy- or postpartum-related symptoms.
How Physical Therapy Can Help During Pregnancy
The physical and hormonal changes of pregnancy can contribute to a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. As the body prepares for childbirth, joints become more flexible and the growing uterus places increasing demands on the spine, pelvis, and core muscles. Resulting discomfort can interfere with work, exercise, sleep, or daily activities.
A physical therapist can evaluate how your body is moving and develop a treatment plan tailored to your stage of pregnancy and your symptoms through manual therapy, posture and body mechanics training, stretching, strengthening exercises, breathing techniques, activity modification, and education to help you move more comfortably.
Physical therapy may help manage:
- Low back pain
- Pelvic girdle or sacroiliac (SI) joint pain
- Hip pain
- Round ligament pain
- Rib pain
- Neck pain
- Sciatica
- Carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy
- Trigger fingers
- Wrist tendonitis
- Core weakness or instability
- Difficulty with balance or walking
- Muscle strain and postural discomfort
Most of these are symptoms one would expect, but even carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger fingers, and tendonitis are super common with pregnancy as fluid shifts into the tendon sheaths, and they can all be treated with therapy.
Recovery After Pregnancy
Every pregnancy and delivery affects the body differently. Whether you had a vaginal birth or cesarean section, recovery involves much more than just time to heal. Many women would benefit from working with a professional to retrain the muscles of the abdomen, pelvis, hips, and lower back to work together again.
Rather than assuming every patient needs the same exercises, pelvic floor physical therapy begins with a thorough evaluation to discover unique needs. Kegel exercises are a popular go-to for strengthening the pelvic floor, but they are not appropriate for everyone. In some cases, the pelvic floor muscles may already be tight or overactive, making strengthening exercises alone ineffective or even counterproductive. Learning how to properly contract – and just as importantly, relax – the pelvic floor is as much about mind-body awareness as it is about effective muscle engagement.
Physical therapy can also help women recovering from diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles that commonly occurs during pregnancy. Performing exercises such as planks, crunches, or other high-pressure movements too early or with poor technique can increase pressure through the abdominal wall and make the condition worse. Rather than focusing on traditional abdominal exercises, physical therapy will emphasize restoring deep core strength, breathing mechanics, and safe movement patterns. Postpartum physical therapy can also help women dealing with:
- Urinary leakage or urgency
- Pelvic pressure or feelings of heaviness
- Pain during sitting or movement
- Tailbone pain
- Pain with sexual activity
- C-section scar mobility
- Perineal scar discomfort after tearing or episiotomy
- Persistent low back, hip, or pelvic pain
- Core weakness
- Difficulty returning to exercise or sports
Many women assume these symptoms are simply part of becoming a mother. With appropriate evaluation and treatment, they can be stabilized and improved.
When Should You Consider Pregnancy or Postpartum Physical Therapy?
Don’t wait until symptoms become severe. Treatment can be helpful during pregnancy to prepare the body for childbirth or after delivery to support healing and restore function.
You may benefit from an evaluation if you experience:
- Pain that limits daily activities
- Persistent back, hip, or pelvic pain
- Urinary leakage or bowel control concerns
- A feeling of weakness through your core
- Abdominal separation (diastasis recti)
- Pain around a C-section or perineal scar
- Difficulty returning to exercise
- Ongoing symptoms months or even years after childbirth
Many postpartum conditions respond well to conservative treatment, even if they have been present for a long time. Your baby could be a teenager by now, and you could still benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy!
If you’ve had any of these symptoms, call the physical therapists at Premier Orthopaedics and Trauma Specialists.
