If you’re pregnant, the odds are you’ve got back pain. Even if you haven’t been pregnant, you’ve probably experienced it. However, let’s start where you are now: about 16 weeks is the time in which I’d see many of my clients begin to feel the pain. Generally, it’s in the lower back above the hips, and it feels like an ache or sharp pain at the base of the spine. The bone at the base of the spine is called the sacrum. Many women experience pain directly above it and to the left and right of it. Here it is:
Chances are also high that if you’ve asked for help, you have heard the same advice over and over:
“Have you tried yoga?”
“What about a pillow to sleep with between your knees at night?”
“You should get a massage!”
“Try a Tylenol! That’s allowed while you’re pregnant . . . right?”
If you experience pain at or around your tailbone, keep reading to learn how to feel better now.
Here it is:
Apply pressure.
The best thing you can do to relieve the pain in your sacrum is to apply pressure and hold it there for at least five minutes. FIVE MINUTES!? Omg, that’s a decade!
That’s the reaction I get from people when I tell them what I do. That reaction also makes me want to stab my eye out with a fork because here’s the thing: it works. And it feels so good.
What do I apply pressure with? Anything. If you can reach it, use your own hands. If you can’t get to it, try a bedpost. Or a ball. Or the corner of a wall. (Dr. Suess would be proud.) But, when I chose my first objects to fix my back pain, I went to the Target toy section and tested out balls to find my favorites in size and hardness. I sat on the ground and tested each out to decide which I liked best. For the areas around my tailbone, I found that a softball-sized ball with a slight give to it worked best.
Here are your steps for relief:
- Feel around with your fingertips at your sacrum. Locate the areas where it’s sore or tight.
- Sit on the floor against a wall and prop yourself against some pillows.
- Place the ball under the area where you’re hurting. Roll around and adjust the ball placement until you find the right spot.
- Put on Netflix.
- Chill.
How much pressure? On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 meaning you don’t feel anything and 10 meaning you’re screaming, you want to be at about a five to a seven. If you go too deep, you won’t be able to hold it long enough. This can be adjusted by using a softer ball.
When you hit that sweet spot under pressure, you know it’s helping and can hang out with it for a while. It is a strange “it hurts so good” feeling that you’ll know when you’re there. Once you’ve found that hurt-so-good spot, set a timer for five minutes and be patient. Once you’ve reached five minutes, take stock of how it feels. Is it still tender there? Then stay. Does it feel pretty ok? Then maybe move the ball over two inches and see if other nearby spots need attention. Get it?
If you are on your own, these tricks with the ball should provide you with significant relief. I cannot emphasize more than to be extremely careful. If we treat our bodies respectfully, the doors to healing will open. Never force; if you aren’t forcing anything, you can’t hurt anything.
There you have it 🙂 This really helped me when I had my pain here, too.
Bonus tip: the last thing I’d recommend is picking up a sacro wedgy. Be sure you pick the pink version for females. This tool helps control sciatica and lower back pain during pregnancy by taking some pressure off the sciatic nerve as the baby grows. It has photos showing how to use it, and you can go to the Sacro Wedgy website to check out their how-to videos. I’d suggest laying just a minute a day on it to start and gradually work up to 5 minutes with your knees bent. Do not lie on your back for more than 5 minutes. However, every pregnancy is different, so please speak to your doctor if you have concerns. This tool can be used while sitting, as well, in case lying on your back is too uncomfortable or not recommended by your doctor in your individual case.
