More than two-thirds of women are expected to suffer from muscular back pain at some time during pregnancy.
Carrying the extra weight for 9 months is just one of the factors.
As the growing bump puts more strain on the back, many Mums will arch their backs to compensate, and if that was not enough, the hormone relaxin softens the ligaments to prepare for the baby to be born – so joints can naturally become less stable.
Of course, this is followed by birth – and a new born baby brings it’s own physical stresses and strains. All of this combines to a heavy toll on back muscles, as the Duchess of Cambridge will no doubt discover as she settles newborn Prince Louis into a routine while also being mum to his lively brother and sister.
Anyone experiencing new symptoms in pregnancy or new motherhood should always consult their midwife or doctor rather than self-diagnose, but chances are it will be the normal aches and pains that often accompany pregnancy.
Mums-to-be put the welfare of their baby above everything – they watch their diet, make sure they continue to take gentle exercise and they are reluctant to take medicines to ease their aches and pains unless it is absolutely necessary and recommended by their GP or midwife. They are advised to avoid taking ibuprofen and only to take paracetamol at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time, yet need effective pain relief when tackling back pain.
The good news is that pregnant and new Mums are usually able to find relief from drug-free, topical pain relief products such as Deep Freeze which are convenient, effective and don’t require a prescription. Deep Freeze is the UK’s best-selling range of drug-free cold therapy products, and they offer a gentle but effective way to ease back pain during pregnancy and beyond.
Cold therapy works in two ways. When cold is applied, it activates receptors in the skin, which send signals to the brain to dilute the pain and bring relief and it also causes the blood vessels to constrict, helping to limit inflammation.
The penetrating, cooling therapy comes in three formats so mums can choose the most convenient one for them, and because the products are applied to the skin at the point of the pain, it’a easy to apply for fast relief directly to the point of pain.
The Deep Freeze range offers a Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Patch, Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Gel and Deep Freeze Pain Relief Glide-on Gel which delivers the cooling gel via a generous rollerball, so you don’t get the gel on your hands.
The self-adhesive Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Patch is scientifically proven to provide a fast-acting cooling effect which can last for up to three hours. Once removed it can continue to provide pain relief for up to nine hours more. It is applied directly to the skin, where it gives fast acting relief from muscular back pain thanks to its a hydrogel layer which evaporates slowly to cool without a feeling of dampness. And the patch is slim and flexible, so it won’t show under clothes and it won’t restrict your movement.
Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Gel is fast-acting and soothing and as well as easing muscular back pain in pregnancy, it is also recommended for sprains, strains, minor sports injuries, joint, foot and muscle pain.
Deep Freeze Pain Relief Glide-on Gel is super-easy to apply, even to hard-to-reach areas and you won’t get any gel on your hands, so you can use it at home or away, whenever you need it.
Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Patch is available as a single patch (RRP £1.65) and a four-pack (RRP £5.49); Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Gel is available as a 35g pack (RRP £2.49) and a 100g pack (RRP £4.79) and Deep Freeze Pain Relief Glide-on Gel in a 50g roll-on pack retails at £4.99.
