For women, lower back pain during pregnancy can interfere with work, daily activities and sleep. More than one third of women suffer from lower back pain while pregnant and in 10-15% of those cases the pain develops into a chronic condition.
A recent study in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing looked at 390 healthy pregnant women to find that water aerobics, as compared to land-based exercise, reduced pregnancy-related lower back pain by 50% and sick leave by 100%. This relief in lower back pain can lead to better productivity at work and in daily life activities.
This research also suggests that aquatic exercise has preferred benefits because the environment lessens the strain and resistance on the muscles of the lower back. The study also looked at the effect of exercise – water-based or land-based on pregnant women with pelvic pain and found little effect on either.
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Ania Granath is a registered student Master of Science at the Nordic School of Public Health, NHV 1998 – and Head of Research and Development Unit, Primary Health Care, södra Bohuslän, Sweden 1999. She can be reached for questions or interview by e-mail at aina.granath@vgregion.se.
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