Do exercises improve back pain in pregnancy?

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Physical Therapy
• Pain Management

Background:

• Pregnancy commonly causes back pain, impacting quality of life.
• Functional limitations and pain severity are key concerns for pregnant individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an exercise program's effectiveness in alleviating back pain during pregnancy.
• To assess the program's impact on functional ability and analgesic use.

Main Methods:

• A prospective control study involved 145 low-risk pregnant women with functional limitations.
• Pain was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); function using the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ).
• An intervention group received physiotherapy sessions, while both groups received back care education and optional Paracetamol.

Main Results:

• The exercise intervention group showed significant VAS score reduction and ODQ score improvement.
• Intervention participants used less Paracetamol for pain relief compared to the control group.
• Age, parity, pain duration, and BMI had weak associations with functional outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The exercise program effectively reduced back pain intensity and analgesic consumption in pregnant women.
• Significant improvements in functional ability were observed post-intervention.
• Exercise interventions represent a viable strategy for managing pregnancy-related back pain.