Relationship between Physical Activity and Lumbopelvic Pain during Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: More than half of the pregnant women are affected by lumbopelvic pain (LPP) in their daily lives. Physical activity (PA) contributes to LPP relief. There are several reports on exercise habits, including the recommended activity intensity (moderate) and time spent (at least three times a week); however, only a few detailed reports on household/child-rearing and occupational activity are available. Therefore, this study explored the relationships between housework/child-rearing, occupational hours, and LPP. Methods: This study included 95 pregnant females who attended an obstetrics and gynecology hospital. The participants were divided into two groups based on the results of an interview on the presence of LPP and classified by intensity or category using the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ-J). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare PA between the two groups. When a significant difference was observed, we performed logistic regression analysis using body mass index (BMI) as an adjustment variable. Results: There were 16 females with LPP and 17 women without LPP in the third trimester. There were significant associations between the PPAQ scores of housework/child-rearing activities and LPP in the third trimester. No significant differences in any category of PPAQ scores were observed between the groups with and without LPP in the first and second trimester of pregnancy. Conclusions: Our study showed the association between PA and LPP in the third pregnancy. Pregnant females with LPP tended to spend more time on housework and child-rearing necessary for their lives. The duration of housework and child rearing should be reduced because of prolonged standing and the burden on the lumbar area.

Physical Activity and Pain During Pregnancy

“…Pregnancy causes a forward shift in a woman's center of gravity, resulting in altered posture (Kawabe et al, 2022). Women who scored higher on the PPAQ likely spend more time on their feet throughout the day, and this altered posture may put additional pressure on their low back, resulting in pain (Kawabe et al, 2022). This reasoning is consistent with the positive trendlines seen in FIGURES 3 A, B, C, AND E, which demonstrated that subjective pain scores increased as PPAQ scores increased.…”

“…The unexpected result found in this study may be due to the physical changes that occur during pregnancy that differ from the general population. Pregnancy causes a forward shift in a woman's center of gravity, resulting in altered posture (Kawabe et al, 2022). Women who scored higher on the PPAQ likely spend more time on their feet throughout the day, and this altered posture may put additional pressure on their low back, resulting in pain (Kawabe et al, 2022).…”

“…Gestational weeks are used to measure the age of a pregnancy, with counting beginning on the first day of the woman's last menstrual period before conception (Jukic et al, 2012). A change in a woman's center of gravity during pregnancy may cause increased lordosis of the lumbar spine, which is an inward curve that visually presents as a swayback posture that places increased pressure on the spine and may cause pain (Kawabe et al, 2022; "Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 804," 2020). While issues with low back and pelvic girdle pain are often resolved postpartum, 43% of women report persistent PGP 6 months postpartum, and 20% of women report persistent pain 3 years postpartum (Gutke et al, 2015).…”

Prenatal Yoga terhadap Penurunan Nyeri Lumbal 4-5

“…Hiperaktivitas yang dilakukan ibu hamil seperti berdiri dalam waktu yang lama dapat menyebabkan postur swayback dalam kurun waktu yang lama, dengan otot punggung yang tegang secara terusmenerus membuat ibu hamil menjadi rentang terhdap nyeri lumbal 4-5. Oleh karena itu, pengurangan aktivitas dalam melakukan pekerjaan dan pelatihan postur tubuh yang tepat pada ibu hamil sangat diperlukan agar dapat mengurangi beban pada tulang belakang lumbal (Kawabe et al, 2022).…”