The Various Postural Changes Associated with Pregnancy - Literature review Example

But the curve of the lumbar spine increases for most pregnant women during the last three months of pregnancy or a swayback posture is taken up by the body where they lean their upper body backwards and the lower spine maintains the same position. Abdominal muscles and pubic bones in front of the pelvis support the weight of the growing fetus as the curve of the lower spine increase and in the case of bodies that adopt the swayback position; pelvic ligaments and pelvic floor muscles experience more pressure because here the push is behind pubic bones.

Most pregnant women keep their heads backwards in order to balance their body from the forward pull exerted by the growing abdomen and as a result of which the thoracic spine loses its natural curve. The proximity of the uterus to the respiratory diaphragm makes it difficult to take a deep breath as the fetus grows and the body uses an adjustment mechanism of spreading the lower ribs outward in order to make the process of breathing easier. Yet another change that takes place during pregnancy is in locomotion which is observable mainly during the third trimester. . e “faulty body mechanisms” as the reason for back pain associated with pregnancy and according to him, the body changes its posture during pregnancy “to compensate for the weight of an enlarging fetus and to offset the progressive anterior displacement of their centre of gravity.

In so doing, the lumbar spine assumes a more lordotic configuration and the pelvis tilts forward” (Loftus 1996, p. 65). The weight-bearing responsibility is shifted to the posterior articular elements of the vertebral column. Mechanical advantages of the paraspinal muscles and the anterior abdominal wall muscles decrease as a result of the pressure exerted on them and stress on sacroiliac joints and the pelvis as the fetus grows. Abnormal mechanics of ambulation and lifting are observed as a result of the anatomical configuration changes in the spine and pelvis (Loftus 1996, p. 65). Loftus finds the role of a postural aetiology as support providing factor for most of the pregnancy-related back pain theories which are contradicted by the hypothesis put forward by Fast et al and Hansson et al where the former support the Fahrni’s postural theory and his observations of the absence of back pain in primitive societies where the people maintained a flexed lumbar structure for long periods during the day and the findings of the latter which argues that there is no relationship between back pain and the curvature of the vertebral column.

On the other hand, there are experts who believe that back pain originates as a result of changes that take place in sacroiliac joints and pelvis during pregnancy and Christopher observes that “biochemical changes related to increased ligamentous laxity in the symphysis pubis and sacroiliac joints contribute to a sacroiliac pain syndrome” (Loftus 1996, p. 65). Many adaptive changes take place in the configuration of the pelvis during pregnancy caused by hormones such as estrogen and progesterone in order to prepare for the growing fetus and to make the process of delivery easier.

According to Stuart porter, the postural changes that occur during pregnancy are not exactly similar in all pregnant women and there would be individual variations. He also asserts that the pre-pregnancy posture would influence the postural changes during pregnancy. The second trimester is the beginning period of the postural variations which alter the equilibrium of the pelvis and spine as it progresses through the third trimester.