Becoming a parent is a joyous time, but it can also bring physical challenges. Sleepless nights, constant feeding, and lifting your baby often lead to back and muscle pain. You’re not alone—most parents experience this discomfort after childbirth, and without care, it can become chronic.
Why Do So Many New Parents Suffer With Pain?
It’s more common than you think. Studies show that up to 90% of women experience back pain during pregnancy or postpartum, and the discomfort can be moderate to severe, interfering with daily routines and caregiving tasks. What’s more, chronic low back pain affects 38% of mothers three months postpartum, and 13.8% at 12 months.
If you’re breastfeeding, the likelihood of pain increases even further—84% of breastfeeding mothers report back pain at least once a month, with 66% experiencing lumbosacral (lower back) pain at least weekly.
So, What Is Causing That Pain?
Parenting is physically demanding. Lifting your baby, bending awkwardly during feeding times, carrying diaper bags or strollers—all of which you do all day long—place repetitive strain on your back and muscles. These habits, especially when combined with poor posture or fatigue, can lead to lasting pain in your spine and supporting muscles.
How Long Could This Pain Last?
This pain isn’t just a short-term inconvenience—many parents find it persists. As mentioned, 38% still report discomfort three months postpartum, and a significant share continue to feel pain for months after that.
Not just physical pain—extended postpartum periods of back or pelvic pain are part of a broader range of long-term complications affecting over a third of women after childbirth.
What Can You Do to Relieve It—Especially Here on Long Island?
Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine offers a full suite of non-surgical and holistic treatments tailored to new parents:
- Customized Physical Therapy: Build strength, improve posture, and learn proper lifting mechanics so you can safely handle your baby—and everything that comes with them.
- Acupuncture (available at East Meadow and Great Neck): Effective for reducing pain through targeted stimulation of the nervous system.
- PRP (Platelet‑Rich Plasma) Therapy, Ultrasound‑Guided Corticosteroid & Analgesic Injections, and PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) Therapy: Advanced, minimally invasive treatments to accelerate healing and reduce inflammation.
By combining proven therapies with advanced, minimally invasive options, our team helps new parents find lasting relief, allowing them to focus on what matters most—caring for their growing family.
What about Self-Care? What Can New Parents Try at Home?
While professional treatment can make a big difference, there are also simple steps you can take at home to ease discomfort and support your recovery.
- Use Cold and Heat Therapy: Apply ice for the first 48 hours to reduce swelling, then switch to heat to soothe tight muscles and improve blood flow.
- Stay Active: Simple movements, such as daily walking—even short bursts—help maintain spinal mobility and ease pain.
- Stretch and Strengthen: Strengthen your core muscles (abs and lower back), and stretch tight areas, such as the hamstrings and hip flexors, to support better posture and reduce strain.
- Break Up Sitting: If you’re nursing or feeding for long stretches, change positions often or get up to walk; prolonged sitting increases back pressure.
- Improve Sleep and Rest: Sleep supports healing—improve your routine and sleep setup to promote recovery.
Making small, consistent adjustments to your daily routine can help reduce pain, protect your spine, and keep you feeling stronger as you care for your little one.
Why Choose Long Island Spine—and How to Get Started
At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, our board-certified physiatrists bring decades of experience and a compassionate approach to treating pain without unnecessary surgery. With convenient offices in East Meadow, Great Neck, Lawrence, and Huntington—and same-day appointments at 1-888-SPINE-1-1—relief is close to home.
Parenthood should be joyful, not defined by discomfort. Whether your pain began during pregnancy or after delivery, our team is here to help you recover and feel like yourself again. Contact us today to schedule your evaluation.