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Is postpartum back pain supposed to last seven years? Hardly!
But what if it’s not actually debilitating … just a nagging ache that sometimes gets worse with increased activity?
“As a mom, you put yourself at the bottom of the list,” admitted Becky Stanborough who has suffered from low back pain since the birth of her first child seven years ago. “Pregnancy is difficult, but I think what does it is carrying around the kids,” she said, noting that her back pain increased when her second child came two years later.
It wasn’t until she met Dr. Megann Schooley, a physical therapist and instructor
at the University of St. Augustine, that she decided to do something about her
chronic back pain. “Megann is a mother. I knew she’d understand,”
said Becky, who recently began receiving treatment from Schooley at First Coast
Rehabilitation, a clinic located on the campus of the University of St. Augustine.
The largest graduate school for physical therapists in the United States and
the third largest in the country for occupational therapists, the University
of St. Augustine has more than 600 students. For the past year, the faculty
of University of St. Augustine and the privately owned First Coast Rehabilitation
located on its campus have been partnering in patient care, sharing campus resources
and providing graduate PT and OT students a chance to witness hands-on patient
care. This gives the students a chance to study the most advanced approaches
in pain reduction and body strengthening first hand, in a clinical environment.
“It’s a win-win for patients. When they are being rehabilitated at
First Coast Rehabilitation (FCR), they have full access to anything in our Wellness
Center,” said Dr. Megann Schooley, Director of the University’s Wellness
Center. The Wellness Center is not just the University of St. Augustine’s
on-campus gym. The Center caters to each student’s, staff member’s
and patient’s entire well being. The Center offers a large variety of activities,
including wellness lectures, group exercise activities, physical assesments,
self-defense classes, aquatic classes and more daily, weekly and monthly activities.
“For me, the biggest thing has been learning how to sit and stand correctly,”
said Becky. “I didn’t realize my posture was actually weakening my
whole pelvic area and keeping me in constant pain. Megann taught me to tuck
my pelvis under and tighten my stomach at the same time. I discovered that rotating
my pelvis under and pulling in my stomach automatically corrected my spine and
the pain has really diminished.”
What about pregnancy-related issues that become debilitating? “Women who
have difficult pregnancies often suffer from a variety of pelvic floor problems
(incontinence, pelvic pain, prolapsed bladder, etc.),” said First Coast
Rehabilitation Physical Therapist and Pilates Rehabilitation Practitioner Nicole
Tristram. “Physical therapy can strengthen muscles and often help avoid
surgery. There are exercises women can do during pregnancy to keep the pelvic
floor healthy.”
Sciatica (related to the Sciatic nerve) is a set of symptoms sometimes accompanying
pregnancy that can cause severe pain in the lower back, buttock, leg and foot,
as well as numbness, muscular weakness and mobility problems. Recently, Nicole
Tristram treated a pregnant patient whose sciatica was getting worse as she
entered her third trimester. “She was unable to take medication and was
not able to sit, stand or walk without pain,” Nicole recalled, “But
after just two physical therapy treatments that included gentle massage, myofascial
release, pelvic joint mobilization, postural education and home exercise instructions
(Pilates breathing exercises, hip and back stretches), her pain decreased significantly.”
Almost all women have aches and pains during pregnancy simply due to the tremendous
changes in the body. Even normal movements such as sitting, walking, standing
and working can cause discomfort, but according to both Schooley and Tristram,
exercises can relieve most discomfort during and after pregnancy.
The website, www.befit-mom.com, gives detailed descriptions of pregnancy issues
and solutions. A thorough analysis and treatment by a licensed physical therapist
is recommended for overall health and wellness during and after pregnancy.
“Physical therapy programs designed to treat the specific needs of a pregnant
woman are now available,” said Schooley. Once a woman is familiar with
her specific recommendations, she can incorporate them into her daily routine
and maintain wellness throughout her pregnancy and beyond.”
Health and wellness — just as the University of St. Augustine and First
Coast Rehabilitation share those same goals; they now share their considerable
resources with the citizens of the Nation’s Oldest City — some of
them women who nurture within them the city’s youngest future citizens.
Susan D. Brandenberg
Freelance Writer
First Coast Rehabilitation Programs
“Hands-on” Manual Physical Therapy
Orthopaedic Rehab
Neurological Rehab
Pediatric Rehab
Occupational Therapy
Women’s Health
Golfing Evaluations
Aquatic Rehab
Running Evaluation
Un-weighting Gait Assistance
Sports & Industrial Rehab
First Coast Rehabilitation Programs
1 University Blvd
St. Augustine, FL 32086
(904) 829-3411
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Wellness Center Programs
Aquatic Exercise
Group Walks
Sculpting & Abs
Self Defense
Yoga
Zumba
Monthly Wellness Themes
Wellness Lectures
Equipment Orientations
Fitness Testing
Risk Analysis/Questionnaires
Cardiopulmonary Assessments (VO2 max, EKG, Anaerobic threshold)
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Wellness Center
1 University Blvd.
St. Augustine, FL 32086
(800) 241- 1027