Back Pain After Caesarean operation
Back Pain After Caesarean operation
In a cesarean section, or C-section, doctors surgically remove the baby from the mother’s uterus rather than delivering vaginally. Most doctors view it as a safe procedure, but there are risks and side effects associated with it. You should learn what’s normal and what might require a trip to the hospital.
In the 2010 edition of “Williams’ Obstetrics,” Dr. F. Gary Cunningham, chief of obstetrics for Encino-Tarzana Medical Center, reports
that about 30 percent of births in the United States occur by Cesarean section. Although almost all pregnant women complain of back pain, spinal anesthesia represents a unique risk factor for back pain from Cesarean birth. In fact, according to a 2009 study published in the journal Anesthesia and Critical Care, the risk approaches 40 percent.
Causes
Back pain from Cesarean birth has two causes:
In the 2010 edition of “Williams’ Obstetrics,” Dr. F. Gary Cunningham, chief of obstetrics for Encino-Tarzana Medical Center, reports
that about 30 percent of births in the United States occur by Cesarean section. Although almost all pregnant women complain of back pain, spinal anesthesia represents a unique risk factor for back pain from Cesarean birth. In fact, according to a 2009 study published in the journal Anesthesia and Critical Care, the risk approaches 40 percent.
Causes
Back pain from Cesarean birth has two causes:
The first cause is trauma to the skin, muscle, ligaments or nerves of the back due to insertion of the spinal needle. The second cause is known as a post-dural puncture headache in which a gradual leak of cerebrospinal fluid results in headache and neck pain that worsens when the patient sits or stands, and resolves when she lies flat.
Infection
Doctors create an incision to deliver your baby by C-section. This incision can take up to six weeks to heal. It’s also prone to infections. Contact your doctor if you notice pus around the incision, or if you have a sudden fever.
Bowel or Bladder Problems
It’s rare, but the internal scarring from your incision could cause problems with your bladder or bowels. You may not even notice the problem until years after you’ve had your baby.
Difficulty Breastfeeding and Bonding With Baby
The long healing time is painful and could make it difficult for you to breastfeed and bond with your baby. The position of the scar sometimes makes it painful to hold your baby. Lifting the baby could also add stress to the incision, causing it to take longer to heal. Try working with a lactation consultant to find positions that you can hold your baby to breastfeed and bond.
Increased Risk of Disease in Baby
California Watch reports that there is some indication that a C-section birth increases a baby’s chances of developing asthma, allergies or Type 1 diabetes, probably because it is not exposed to the good bacteria in the mother’s vagina.
Placental Complications in Future Pregnancies
A C-section creates a scar in your uterus, which can disrupt future pregnancies. This stems from unusual placement of the placenta, such as in placenta previa, where the placenta covers the cervix, making it impossible for a vaginal delivery.
Disappointment or Depression
When you were waiting for your baby to arrive, you probably created an ideal view of how it would happen. Most likely, that did not include a C-section. Some women are disappointed that they couldn’t deliver vaginally. The disappointment can turn into postpartum depression.
While lower back pain is very common, delayed pain from complications of epidural or spinal anesthesia is quite rare, especially after years without any problems. Nearly 1/3 of the 4 million infants born each year are delivered by Caesarean section and the majority of those deliveries involve pain medicine administered around or into the mother’s spinal fluid to numb the body for the operation. If you include vaginal deliveries, more than half of all pregnant women receive this type of medication to reduce pain during labor and delivery.
The most common complications of epidural or spinal anesthesia occur during or shortly after the use of the catheter administering the medicine and include shivering, itching, lowered blood pressure, areas of numbness or tingling, temporary back pain and headaches.
Sudden lower back pain years after epidural or spinal anesthesia is more likely to be caused by a recent injury, heavy lifting, poor posture or positioning (such as during sleep or while carrying a backpack), or stress on the bones or muscles. Certain conditions of the spine or other parts of the body such as arthritis, scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, infections and tumors may also cause back pain.
Treatment depends on the cause of the pain and may involve pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, application of ice or heat, stretching, massage and rest. It’s important to consult with your physician for any back pain that is severe or continues despite home treatment. Special imaging studies (such as an X-ray, CT scan or MRI) or blood tests may be needed to diagnose the condition.
Infection
Doctors create an incision to deliver your baby by C-section. This incision can take up to six weeks to heal. It’s also prone to infections. Contact your doctor if you notice pus around the incision, or if you have a sudden fever.
Bowel or Bladder Problems
It’s rare, but the internal scarring from your incision could cause problems with your bladder or bowels. You may not even notice the problem until years after you’ve had your baby.
Difficulty Breastfeeding and Bonding With Baby
The long healing time is painful and could make it difficult for you to breastfeed and bond with your baby. The position of the scar sometimes makes it painful to hold your baby. Lifting the baby could also add stress to the incision, causing it to take longer to heal. Try working with a lactation consultant to find positions that you can hold your baby to breastfeed and bond.
Increased Risk of Disease in Baby
California Watch reports that there is some indication that a C-section birth increases a baby’s chances of developing asthma, allergies or Type 1 diabetes, probably because it is not exposed to the good bacteria in the mother’s vagina.
Placental Complications in Future Pregnancies
A C-section creates a scar in your uterus, which can disrupt future pregnancies. This stems from unusual placement of the placenta, such as in placenta previa, where the placenta covers the cervix, making it impossible for a vaginal delivery.
Disappointment or Depression
When you were waiting for your baby to arrive, you probably created an ideal view of how it would happen. Most likely, that did not include a C-section. Some women are disappointed that they couldn’t deliver vaginally. The disappointment can turn into postpartum depression.
While lower back pain is very common, delayed pain from complications of epidural or spinal anesthesia is quite rare, especially after years without any problems. Nearly 1/3 of the 4 million infants born each year are delivered by Caesarean section and the majority of those deliveries involve pain medicine administered around or into the mother’s spinal fluid to numb the body for the operation. If you include vaginal deliveries, more than half of all pregnant women receive this type of medication to reduce pain during labor and delivery.
The most common complications of epidural or spinal anesthesia occur during or shortly after the use of the catheter administering the medicine and include shivering, itching, lowered blood pressure, areas of numbness or tingling, temporary back pain and headaches.
Sudden lower back pain years after epidural or spinal anesthesia is more likely to be caused by a recent injury, heavy lifting, poor posture or positioning (such as during sleep or while carrying a backpack), or stress on the bones or muscles. Certain conditions of the spine or other parts of the body such as arthritis, scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, infections and tumors may also cause back pain.
Treatment depends on the cause of the pain and may involve pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, application of ice or heat, stretching, massage and rest. It’s important to consult with your physician for any back pain that is severe or continues despite home treatment. Special imaging studies (such as an X-ray, CT scan or MRI) or blood tests may be needed to diagnose the condition.
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