Is low back pain delaying your ability to get back to postpartum exercise? Your pelvic girdle and pelvic floor muscles may need some attention!
One complaint we often hear as pelvic floor physical therapists working with our postpartum population is the inability to get back to mat exercise because of pain when lying flat on the mat. This can be a typical symptom following delivery if the bony structures of the pelvis have not quite yet moved back into its normal position. During delivery, the sacrum (the big, triangular bone in the back of the pelvis) has to flex at the top, tipping the bottom portion and the tailbone (coccyx) backwards opening the “pelvic outlet” to allow for the baby’s head to pass through. It can take time for these bones to move back into their original position after delivery, making it painful in the meantime to lie on a harder surface to do exercises such as bridges, marches, and pelvic tilts.
The question is, can this be corrected? Yes! You don’t have to simply wait for your pelvis to naturally shift back into place. In pelvic floor physical therapy, we use joint mobilization techniques to improve the position of the bony pelvis paired with soft tissue mobilization to reduce tension on muscles that may be keeping the sacrum in this position. The deep pelvic floor muscle that attaches directly to the coccyx (called the coccygeus) is put under a lot of tension when the coccyx is pulled back. We use techniques to release the tension followed by exercise to help your body maintain this position. At Mend, we strongly believe movement and exercise is key to a healthy postpartum recovery. If you are limited in any way, schedule with one of our experts today to ensure optimal recovery!