Upper back, neck and rib pain
Upper back, neck and rib pain can occur at any point during pregnancy or even after birth. These conditions can also be linked to tension headaches.
Why does this occur?
Some of the common causative factors include:
Postural changes that occur during pregnancy
Maintaining prolonged static positions when feeding/holding baby
Weakness of postural muscles
Weakness of ‘core’ or abdominal muscles
Awkward sleeping positions
What are the signs and symptoms?
Pain in neck region which may be one sided or in the middle
Stiffness in the neck or upper back region
Heaviness/ fatigue in neck region, feeling the need to support your neck
Headaches
Sharp pain in the ribs with movement or cough
Pain at any point around the ribcage which may be worse when lying on one side at night
What can be done to help me?
A through assessment to determine the cause of your pain will always be completed
Education about appropriate retraining of postural and often appropriate feeding/baby care positions to help relieve pain and ensure it doesn’t return
Specific exercise program to strengthen postural and core muscles
Expert hands on treatment to relieve stiff painful joints and muscles
Postural taping may be used to relieve pain and reinforce correct posture
We may recommend our exercise classes to help improve the strength and control of your postural muscles