Water workouts stave off back ache in pregnancy
4 February 2002
Water aerobics seems to reduce back pain and days off work during pregnancy without increasing urinary or vaginal infections, according to the latest Cochrane review.
The Cochrane Collaboration is an international organisation set up to help people make informed decisions about health care, based on up-to-date, credible evidence.
The reviewers of this Cochrane report assessed the effects of preventive interventions and treatments of pregnancy-related back and pelvic pain in 3 randomised trials involving 376 pregnant women.
One, which compared water gymnastics with no water classes, found women doing aquatic sessions weekly from 20 weeks' gestation were less likely to take time off work after 32 weeks because of back pain.
Although the data were hard to interpret, they appeared to show a statistically significant reduction in pain at 1 week after birth.
'Water gymnastics sessions are almost certainly helpful in reducing back pain but it is not clear how great the benefit is,' reviewers said.
Another study found some measurable reduction in back pain with 10 sessions of acupuncture and physiotherapy — more so with acupuncture. But reviewers said this may reflect the benefit of individual over group therapy, rather than any true effect of acupuncture.
Three women given physiotherapy felt preterm contractions, but none gave birth prematurely. There was almost no published evidence about the pelvic/trochanteric belt for pelvic pain, the researchers said.
Last Reviewed: 04 February 2002
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 01/02/02
