Modern Parenthood & Back Pain
Do you know any athletes who train by carrying around a heavy weight all day in awkward positions without any rest breaks and after not sleeping for months/years on end? I don't.
Modern parenthood is a recipe for disaster if you're not ready for it. That being said, with the right understanding and some creativity you can flip the switch and use parenthood to get fit, have fun and bond with your family while avoiding the all too common parent injuries we see everyday.
As a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Dad of two young daughters I feel extremely passionate about solving this problem for other parents. I would argue that being a parent is one of the leading risk factors for low back pain. Per the Mayo Clinic, current risk factors include age, lack of exercise, excess weight, improper lifting, and psychological conditions. When you look at these from a different lens, it’s pretty clear to see that the Mayo Clinic is just describing a parent.
Age: They note that back pain is more common starting at 30-40years old, suspicious…
Lack of exercise: Other than Tom Brady, do you know a lot of dads (and moms) who have multiple hours a day to spend taking care of their physical body?
Excess weight: Yes it’s true - pregnancy adds weight and challenges the body for women - carrying an extra 30-50lbs of weight in the front of the spine isn’t easy. As many men also find out when they start using baby carriers.
Improper lifting: Have you ever seen a gym exercise that mirrored having to put a 30lb squirmy kettlebell into a middle car seat? Kids put us in really tough physical positions.
Psychological conditions: Increases in stress and anxiety feels like part of the package when a little one enters your life (this doesn’t even start with postpartum depression)
What isn’t listed is not sleeping and having time or resources for good nutrition or time off from a job when you’re in pain or not feeling ready.
While most people deal with their problems reactively, I want to promote the importance of taking a proactive approach for parents (and any caregiver) to be better prepared to handle the physical challenges of caring for our kids for their long term health. This is where the idea for The Newish Parent Guide to Avoiding Unnecessary Pain came from over 4 years ago.
If you’re ready to start thinking proactively about what you can do to help prepare your body for the challenges of parenthood - reach out and learn more about how we can help you.