According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), back pain is prevalent in almost 70% of pregnancies. These aches and pains can interfere with your everyday life – and can put more stress on both you and your baby. Fortunately, there are ways to relieve this back pain. These include decreasing the amount of pressure put on you by your stomach with pregnancy bands and kinesiology tape.
What Are Pregnancy Bands and Kinesiology Tape?
Pregnancy bands are bands designed to “support the lower back and abdomen during pregnancy,” according to Healthline. They are worn on the lower part of the belly and can compress and slightly lift your stomach, alleviating pain. Kinesiology tape is a flexible tape. It is designed to assist muscles in their movement, alleviate pain and lessen swelling, according to Healthline.
Pregnancy Bands
According to Healthline, pregnancy bands have many benefits. Other than alleviating pain, they can assist in activities by providing compression (like a sports bra) and support good posture. Bands range from about $20 to $70. They can be found online and in stores like Walmart, Target and other department stores. Physical therapist and owner of Empower Womens Physical Therapy Payton Williams says, “I like to think of belts as an assistive tool to help relieve pain and symptoms to allow you to optimize movement during pregnancy.” To avoid becoming too dependent on the band, Healthline says it should not be worn more than two to three hours at once. Additionally, abdominal strengthening exercises should be done in conjunction with using the band. Pinnacle Women’s Therapeutics also notes that babies might find the pressure uncomfortable.
Kinesiology Tape
Lady Bird Physical Therapy says that kinesiology tape can assist in pregnancy by “[reducing] short term pain and the need for pain relief, [improving] and [supporting] muscular activity of the taped muscle fibers, [improving] blood flow and lymphatic flow and [providing] some good sensory feedback and a mid-term reminder of body positioning.” It is also a relatively inexpensive option. Pinnacle Women’s Therapeutics mentions some things to watch out for, including skin sensitivities to the adhesive on the tape and many stores carrying only eight-inch strips, which are often not long enough for pregnancy taping. Williams also suggests asking someone to help tape your back instead of taping your belly to help increase movement and alleviate some pain.
How to Kinesiology Tape Your Pregnant Belly
Lady Bird Physical Therapy provides these four steps for taping your belly:
- Lay on your back and press the small of your back against the floor, tucking your tailbone under your hips.
- Place a strip under your belly, making sure that this strip does not have any tension. It is meant simply to anchor the other strips and provide additional support.
- Measure two pieces of tape that are slightly shorter than the distance from the anchor strip to your rib cage. Measure another two from the anchor strip to the side of your rib cage. Round the corners at the top so it will be less likely to peel off on its own.
- Place each strip an inch to the left or right of the center of the anchor strip. Stretch the tape so it is stretched about 50%. Stick it to your belly as you go. Do the same with the diagonal strips, stretching them about 50%.
How to Prevent Back Pain
While pregnancy bands and kinesiology tape are great ways to alleviate pain, there are also ways that you can help to prevent it in the first place. Mayo Clinic suggests keeping good posture, wearing comfortable and supportive shoes, lifting things with proper form, sleeping on your side, staying active and trying therapies like visiting a chiropractor or acupuncturist may help with pain. Pelvic PT can also be a great way to help prevent back pain as “addressing the root cause is the best course of treatment,” according to Williams.
Karen West, owner of West Health Spa, recommends a wholistic approach to your pregnancy journey. Eating a variety of colorful foods provide you with lots of phytonutrients that “are natural anti-inflammatories for the body.” Reducing stress, getting good sleep on a consistent routine, and making time for some regular exercise such as walking can also help you feel more comfortable during your pregnancy, says West.
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