Anyone else suffering from degenerative discs?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am just out of my first trimester and suffering a lot from lower back pain caused by degenerative disc disease. Anyone else suffering from this and pregnant too? I'd like to know what you are doing to alleviate the back pain. Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear that you are going through this. Which discs are affected?

I had a herniated disc during pregnancy (L5/S1) with some degenerative changes, as well as sciatica. So, not quite the same, but close.

Chiropractic manipulation (by someone who works with pregnant women specifically - I saw Dr. Erica Statman in Fairfax...she's awesome, btw), yoga, prenatal massage, slow walking, and sitting/bouncing on a birthing ball all helped.

Sleeping with lots of pillows helped too (lying on my left side, I had them behind my back, between my knees, two at my head, one at my belly).

I have heard that swimming will help strengthen your lower back muscles, and as an added benefit, the moms that I know who swam during pregnancy also didn't get ankle swelling.

But, I guess the biggest thing was to not overexert myself. If my back felt bad on any given day, I'd try to take it at easy as possible.

Maybe you could talk to your doctor about different options for you depending on the severity of your condition.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OP here...Thanks PP for the great info. I'm not sure which discs are affected. I just called my orthopedic surgeon to get that information. I will definitely try Dr. Statman. I just started yoga and I enjoyed it. I am also planning on starting swimming. Thanks so much!