Postpartum Back and Pelvic Pain
Most women expect the back pain of pregnancy to stop when the baby arrives. At Modern Physio we focus on understanding the root-cause of your problem & personalizing your treatment for lasting results.
Understanding Postpartum Back and Pelvic Pain
Most women expect the back pain of pregnancy to stop when the baby arrives. Often it does not. Pain across the low back, the tailbone, or the joints at the back of the pelvis can carry on for months after delivery, and it is usually blamed on tiredness or on carrying the baby. That is only part of the picture. Pregnancy changes how the deep abdominal muscles, the pelvic floor and the back muscles share load, and those changes do not reverse on their own just because the pregnancy has ended. Feeding positions, broken sleep and lifting a car seat all add to it. This is treatable, and it is treated by retraining how the trunk carries load rather than by rest. At Modern Physio in Jaipur the assessment is done by Dr. Surabhi Bansal, a female physiotherapist, in Hindi or English.
Common Symptoms
- Low back pain that started in pregnancy and has not settled since delivery
- Pain over the tailbone, or over one or both joints at the back of the pelvis
- Pain that is worse after feeding, after carrying the baby, or at the end of the day
- Pain turning over in bed, getting out of a car, or climbing stairs
- A feeling that the back gives way or cannot be trusted under load
- Pain in the pubic area when standing on one leg or walking far
- A sense that the abdomen feels weak, soft or disconnected
How Common Is It?
Back and pelvic pain persisting beyond the early postnatal weeks is one of the most commonly reported and least commonly treated problems after childbirth. Many women only mention it when asked directly, because they have been told it is a normal part of new motherhood.
Causes & Risk Factors
- Load-sharing between the abdominal wall, pelvic floor and back muscles that has not been retrained after delivery
- Separation of the abdominal muscles (see diastasis recti), which reduces how well the trunk transfers load
- Sustained feeding positions, often with the back rounded and unsupported, several times a day
- Repeated lifting of the baby, the car seat and the pram without any recovery of strength first
- Broken sleep, which lowers pain tolerance and slows tissue recovery
- Pelvic girdle pain that began in pregnancy and was never assessed
- Caesarean or perineal scar tissue that changes how the area moves and is loaded
Our Diagnosis Process
- A history of the pregnancy, the delivery and any pain that started before it
- Clarifying which movements provoke the pain, which is more informative than where it hurts
- Assessment of the abdominal wall, including checking for muscle separation
- Assessment of pelvic floor function, with consent, because pelvic floor and low back symptoms often travel together
- Assessment of hip, back and pelvic joint movement and of how you load them when standing, walking and lifting
- A practical look at feeding and lifting positions, since these are where most of the daily load actually happens
- Referral back to your obstetrician or GP where the pattern suggests something needing medical assessment
Our Treatment Approach
- Retraining the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles to work together with breathing, before adding any load
- Graded strengthening of the hips, back and trunk, progressed to what your day actually demands
- Manual therapy for stiff or painful joints where it helps you move more comfortably, alongside the exercise plan rather than instead of it
- Changing the positions that repeatedly provoke pain, especially feeding and lifting
- Scar management where a caesarean or perineal scar is restricting movement
- A plan for returning to exercise that starts from what you can control, not from a fixed calendar
Recovery & Prevention Tips
- Set up feeding positions with proper back support, because that position is repeated many times a day
- Bring the baby to you rather than bending to the baby, at every change and every lift
- Exhale as you lift, rather than holding your breath and bearing down
- Build up walking distance gradually rather than testing it with one long outing
- Expect progress over weeks, and expect it to be uneven while sleep is broken
- Pain that wakes you at night, or that is felt in one leg with numbness or weakness, needs assessment rather than patience
Evidence & Sources
Back pain in and around pregnancy is common, and referral to a physiotherapist for advice and exercises is a recognised route when the pain is severe.
NHS — Back pain in pregnancyPelvic floor muscle exercises after childbirth are recommended and can help with incontinence and prolapse symptoms.
NHS — Your post-pregnancy bodyFrequently Asked Questions
How long after delivery should back pain have settled?
There is no fixed date, and the useful question is whether it is improving rather than whether it has gone. Pain that is unchanged or worse two to three months after delivery is worth assessing, and pain that stops you lifting or carrying your baby is worth assessing sooner than that.
Can I be treated while I am breastfeeding?
Yes. Physiotherapy assessment and exercise treatment do not interfere with feeding, and no medication is prescribed here. You are welcome to feed during the appointment if you need to, and you can bring the baby with you.
Is it too late if my baby is a year old?
No. The muscles respond to training whenever training starts. Women are commonly treated for this a year or several years after delivery, and the approach is the same.
Should I just rest until it settles?
Rest usually makes this worse rather than better, because the underlying problem is that the trunk is not sharing load well and rest reduces capacity further. The plan is graded loading, not avoidance.
When is back pain after delivery a medical emergency?
Back pain with loss of feeling in the legs, buttocks or genitals, or with loss of bladder or bowel control, is an emergency and needs immediate hospital assessment. Back pain with fever, with heavy vaginal bleeding, or with pain and swelling in one calf needs urgent medical assessment rather than a physiotherapy appointment. Physiotherapy here runs alongside your obstetrician or gynaecologist, never instead of them. Dr. Surabhi Bansal is a physiotherapist, not a physician: the clinic does not prescribe medication and has no imaging or scanning on site.
Medically Reviewed
This content was reviewed for medical accuracy by Dr. Surabhi Bansal, BPT, MPT (Ortho) with 14+ years of clinical experience.
At Modern Physio, all medical content undergoes a thorough review process to ensure accuracy and alignment with current physiotherapy standards. Our content is created to educate and should not replace professional medical advice. Learn more about our review process.
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Our expert physiotherapists can help you recover from postpartum back and pelvic pain with personalized treatment plans.
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