What is the most common postpartum complaint of new moms? —neck and shoulder pain.

You created a human. A beautiful little baby! It’s new, it’s cuddly, and it is all yours. You could stare at it for hours. When you bring the little one home and nurse, change diapers, rock the little one to sleep, and even watch it sleep, it leads to a common, but unexpected complaint in you body: Neck and shoulder pain.

Looking down for long periods of time leads to a lot of strain in the neck and upper back. We see this often with people in the military, on a computer a lot, and texting often. The group that is left out of on the list is new moms. When looking down for such long periods of time, the strain can lead to nagging or constant pains that keep getting worse!

How to care for postpartum pain in the neck:

There are a few tips to help when the pain in the neck and shoulders that comes with caring for the newest addition to the family. First, we recommend taking “posture” breaks. This is time when we are not looking down and creating a neutral spine. When nursing, take time to look up while the baby is feeding. Once you lay the baby down for a nap, resist the urge to bend over and watch the new born. It is important you neck has a break from looking down and forward all the time.

Stretch your neck. On the posture breaks, take time stretch. For example if you bend your head to your right, take your right hand and gently pull it over to the right. You will feel a stretch on your left side. Hold for about 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Do a cobra stretch. Lay facedown on a towel or yoga mat. Put your forearms on the ground and lift your chest, neck, and head off the of the ground and look upward. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.

Get adjusted. Our favorite tip is to get adjusted by a trained chiropractor. Chiropractic is backed by research to help get rid of neck pain, naturally. The way this happens is through gentle and safe adjustments. Chiropractic helps the nervous system function at it’s best through removing interferences in the communication of your body! The body is self healing, chiropractic helps it function heal, better.

Conclusion:

Postpartum brings about a new you and a new body. It takes time to get to know your body. Postpartum support can be so beneficial to you healing after birth and thriving in motherhood. Chiropractors are an integral part of the healing process and offer a lot of support during the physical changes that happen postpartum.