Support Belts for Hip and Back Pain During Pregnancy

Often during pregnancy the lower back and hips can become achy and painful. This is due to a few factors. Obviously the growing weight of the baby and because that weight is all out in the front it can put extra stress on the lower back and hips.

Also, early on in pregnancy the hormone levels begin to change enough to signal the body to start relaxing the ligaments in order to prepare the pelvis for the baby to come through. This means there is less stability in the pelvis already and then add the extra weight of the pregnancy and no wonder hip and low back pain are so common.

The first way we treat this is through strengthening the hip and back muscles to be able to support these changes. Massage can also provide temporary relief to help relax the overworked muscles.

Sometimes the pregnant person may need more than just massage and exercise so a support belt is often helpful. These belts basically substitute for what the ligaments would normally do to hold the pelvis together and provide stability. There are a few different options and I will describe the ones I most commonly recommend.

The first is the Serola SI belt. This belt isn't just for pregnant people and often is recommended for other people to also use for low back pain. It sits low on the hips. It is made of soft Velcro.

Another one is the Baby Belly Band. This is a little wider than the Serola belt. It is also made of soft Velcro. This belt has some attachments you can purchase to help support the body in other ways, too. There are two straps that go around your pelvic floor/inner thigh to offer some pelvic floor support. And there are two straps that can attach over the shoulders like suspenders to help give a little lift to unweight some of the belly.

The website It's You Babe (https://itsyoubabe.com/) has a variety of hip and abdominal supports to choose from to support a pregnant body. They have simple hip and abdominal supports to more complex supports with pelvic and shoulder straps.

The fit splint was created by a trainer who specializes in working with pregnancy and postpartum. (https://www.recorefitness.com/maternity-fitsplint). This is a really comfortable support that supports the hips and also gives a little lift to the belly to provide support there as well.

The Saunders Stork Sport belt is one more option. This is another stretchy support band for the hips. This one is a little wider in the back to offer more support for the lower back. This might be a better option if you have hip and low back pain.

These are my most often recommended supports for hip and low back pain during pregnancy. If you have pelvic pain, prolapse, pelvic varicosities or pelvic congestion syndrome see my recent post for support garments more specific to those conditions. (https://www.rechargetherapy.com/post/supportive-and-compression-garments-for-pregnancy-postpartum-and-pelvic-pain-conditions).

As always, exercise and an evaluation that is specific to you is your first line of treatment for easing low back pain during pregnancy. Go here to schedule a free phone call for more information or you can book an in-person or virtual session.