7 Powerful Ways To Beat Upper Back Pain During Pregnancy

Last Updated on November 18, 2023 by theosteomum

Upper back pain in pregnancy is a common but often overlooked condition. 

Possibly because other common conditions such as pelvic girdle pain or leg cramps can be so painful, upper back pain in pregnancy often gets brushed aside as something that just needs to be tolerated. 

In this post, you’ll learn:

Increased breast size

Was an increase in your bust measurement one of your first signs of pregnancy?

Many women will go up at least one or two cup sizes during pregnancy. This puts additional weight on the front of your body. When you add this to the extra weight that’s already there from a growing belly, your back has to work harder to ensure you don’t fall forwards. 

Whenever an area of your body has to work harder than it usually does, pain is a common result. 

Overall weight gain

Most pregnant women will gain somewhere between 5kg and 18kg, depending on their starting weight and ethnicity.

Even modest weight gains mean an increase in the load that your whole body has to carry around. 

Again, your body needs to work harder to support your increased weight against gravity, which can lead to the development of pain in some areas. 

An increased lumbar (lower back) curve that needs to be counterbalanced

Have you ever noticed how a pregnant woman’s lower back curve can look a lot bigger than normal?

This happens because of the weight of the growing baby and as an attempt to make more space. 

It’s also part of the reason why conditions like pelvic girdle pain and headaches during pregnancy are so common. 

But everything in nature is usually balanced out by something else. So our bodies will try to accommodate for this increase in our lower back curves by increasing the curves in our middle and upper backs. 

If your spine doesn’t have the strength or flexibility to accommodate these changes, then you may suffer from pain in the upper back. 

Hormonal changes which lead to softening of joints and ligaments

Our bodies begin to prepare for labour from much earlier on in the pregnancy than you’d think. 

Hormones such as relaxin help soften the ligaments of the pelvis, to allow everything to move around more so that eventually a baby can pass through a hole that’s not usually big enough for it to fit. 

However, the effect of these hormones isn’t isolated to just the pelvis. This softening occurs throughout the body, which makes a variety of conditions more common during pregnancy. 

Hormonal changes are responsible for things like your feet appearing to get bigger, or your ribcage expanding so your waist appears “thicker”, even if you haven’t gained much weight yet. 

All of these changes have flow on effects throughout the body, which for some women, can lead to upper back pain. 

Wear a supportive maternity bra:

Having good support for growing breasts can make a huge difference to your upper back pain in pregnancy. 

The good news is that many maternity bras also double as nursing bras for once baby has arrived, so any purchases you make now can go double distance. 

I personally loved the Bonds maternity and nursing bras for their comfort and durability. I wore these throughout pregnancy and both of my breastfeeding periods. While we’re on this topic, I also loved the Bonds nursing singlets, which meant that I could feed on the go and not feel like my tummy was exposed to the world. 

Some bigger-busted women may prefer the additional support of bras like the Kindred Bravely, which is specifically designed for women with cup sizes F, G, H and I.  

Postural awareness:

All of the changes that are going on throughout your body can sometimes mean that “good posture” goes out the window.

Poor posture alone can be a cause of back pain in pregnancy. 

To improve pregnancy posture, try to remember the following tips:

• Imagine there is a piece of string tied to the top of your head, gently pulling you upwards. When this string is pulled, you’ll get just a little taller. Your shoulders will move back a little, and the curves in your lower back will become slightly less pronounced. 
• Don’t hyperextend or lock out your knees when standing. 
• Keep even weight through both feet when standing. Avoid shifting all your weight onto one leg. 

Use a foam roller:

Using a foam roller such as this one can help get your spine moving and relieve upper back pain during pregnancy. 

They’re also really useful if you’re experiencing lower back or pelvic pain, or even leg cramps during pregnancy. Using a foam roller on your buttock muscles or calves can help relax these muscles and give you great relief. 

A word of caution here though. After 20 weeks of pregnancy, it’s advised that you don’t spend more than a few minutes at a time laying on your back. It’s usually fine to spend a short period of time in this position to do moves like the ones below, just don’t hang out there too long. 

Use a spiky ball: 

Spiky balls like these can be your new best friend during pregnancy. 

You can either use them standing up against a wall and pressing any tender spots into the ball, or laying on your back. 

Like I mentioned above, however, just don’t spend more than a few minutes at a time laying on your back if you’re more than around 20 weeks pregnant. 

Stretch your upper back:

There are soooo many stretches you can still do while pregnant that will help keep things moving in your upper back.

I’ve put together the following short video to show you my top 3.

For the final one, you’ll need a resistance band. You can get one here if you don’t have one.

Strengthen your upper back:

Physical Therapy:

Finding a manual therapist who is suitably trained to deal with pregnant patients can be extremely helpful for upper back pain. 

The women who I treat for upper back pain in pregnancy often experience great results from therapy, and are truly thankful they chose to do something about it. 

Back posture correctors: 

There are a range of devices, such as this one on the market, supposedly designed to help improve your posture. 

And they may actually work, at least in the short term.  

The problem is, they replace the action that our muscles are supposed to do. When our muscles aren’t used, they get weaker. So you end up worse off than you were before. 

I’m often asked by patients whether they should use these types of devices. 

The only time I’d suggest these may be useful is if you’re in pain and need to get through a short-term event, such as an unavoidable day-long meeting. 

Wearing these devices for very short periods of time to help you through sticky situations shouldn’t cause too many issues. 

I just couldn’t recommend you wear them for long periods or on a regular basis. 

You truly are better off strengthening your muscles instead. 

Lifting heavy things (if you don’t already lift weights):

If you usually lift heavy weights, then please, keep it up.

However, if you’re not usually a weight lifter, then you should probably avoid lifting heavy things while you’re pregnant. 

Recommendations about exercise in pregnancy have changed over the years. We now know that it’s highly beneficial to get your heart rate up during this time. You can get all the details here. 

But if you haven’t previously lifted heavy weights, it’s best to start out light and build up gradually.

You’ll still see improvements in your posture and pain from lifting light weights, just without the added risk of injury. 

Ignoring it, or thinking you just have to put up with it:

Whilst there are some aspects of pregnancy discomfort that you simply cannot avoid (foot under your ribs, anyone?), you don’t have to simply accept that you’ll be in pain for the next few months. 

Trying out the 7 tips listed above really can be helpful in minimizing your upper back pain in pregnancy. 

Upper back pain in pregnancy- wrapping up:

Upper back pain in pregnancy is a common condition, often caused by hormonal and postural changes. 

There are so many ways you can help manage this pain- from more supportive bras, to spiky balls or foam rollers, to strengthening or finding a physical therapist. 

Whatever you do, don’t ignore it, because it’s often easily managed so you’ll be suffering unnecessarily. 

Speak to your Doctor if the pain is severe, or try out the 7 tips above to get relief from mild to moderate pain. 

How did you go?

Have you tried out the 7 tips above?  How did they work for you?

I’d love to hear your feedback- leave me a comment below! 

And don’t forget to share this post with your pregnant friends who could also use a little help!