Back pain during pregnancy: effects on everyday life and work

Back pain during pregnancy: effects on everyday life and work

Back pain during pregnancy can be more than just a temporary discomfort. A study conducted in Ontario between 2013 and 2014 examined how the location of this pain affects pregnant women's everyday life and work and the extent to which this pain persists after birth.

The researchers divided the pain into four groups: lower back pain (LBP), pelvic girdle pain (PGP), a combination of both types of pain and a mixed pain group. They found that participants with combined pain were about twice as likely as those with LBP alone to report limitations in work (outside the home) and self-care. What was particularly striking was that those with PGP and combined pain were approximately five times more likely to be unable to work compared to women suffering from LBP alone. In participants with mixed types of pain, this probability increased 13-fold.

It also found that around 50% of the women surveyed were pain-free within six months of giving birth, 16% had persistent pain and 38% continued to suffer from persistent pain. In particular, women who suffered from combined pain during pregnancy also reported persistent discomfort up to six months after delivery.

The results of this study suggest that the location of pregnancy-related back pain is related to limitations in everyday life as well as increased absenteeism from work and the persistence of pain after birth. Back pain does not disappear immediately after delivery in some women, especially in those who experience combined pain during pregnancy, symptoms may persist even postpartum.

In the future, this finding could lead to targeted intervention strategies to better help pregnant women with specific back pain and thus improve their quality of life during and after pregnancy.

Basic terms and concepts

• LBP (Low Back Pain) – Schmerzen im unteren Rückenbereich.
• PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain) – Schmerzen im Beckengürtel, einer Region, die die untere Wirbelsäule und die Hüften umfasst.
• Kombinierte Schmerzen – Gleichzeitiges Auftreten von LBP und PGP.
• Gemischte Schmerzen – Vorliegen verschiedener Arten von Schmerzen, die nicht ausschließlich LBP oder PGP zugeordnet werden können.
• Postpartum – Die Zeit nach der Entbindung.

Influence of the location of pain in pregnancy-related back pain on everyday life and work

The present study, published on PubMed, focused on examining the influence of the location of pregnancy-related back pain on daily activities and absence from work. It also aimed to determine which types of pain are likely to persist postpartum.

methodology

The research represents a secondary analysis of data from an observational cohort study. For data collection conducted in Ontario in 2013 to 2014, four pain locus groups were identified: low back pain (LBP), pelvic girdle pain (PGP), combined pain and mixed pain. Logistic regression models were used to examine the influence of pain location on activity and absence from work. Furthermore, descriptive analyzes were used to explore the relationship between the location of pregnancy pain and postpartum pain patterns.

Results

Data analysis from 305 pregnant participants and follow-up of 80 of these participants for up to 6 months postpartum revealed that those with combined pain had approximately two times greater impairment in work (outside the home) and personal hygiene than those with LBP alone. Respondents with PGP and combined PGP and LBP were approximately five times more likely to have work absenteeism compared to respondents with only LBP; those with a mixture of LBP and PGP were found to be 13 times more likely. Approximately 50% of respondents reported being pain-free within 6 months of birth, 16% experienced persistent pain, and 38% experienced persistent pain. Those with combined pain during pregnancy continued to have persistent pain up to 6 months postpartum.

conclusion

The results suggest that the location of pregnancy-related back pain is associated with impairments in daily life, an increase in work absenteeism, and the persistence of postpartum pain. In this cohort, back pain did not always resolve after delivery, and those who experienced combined back pain during pregnancy continued to experience symptoms after delivery.