Los Altos, CA
Postnatal back pain is one of the most common complaints after pregnancy — and one of the most dismissed. If you’ve been told it’s just your hormones and you’ll be fine soon, that’s not the whole story. Understanding what’s actually happening in your body is the first step to fixing it.
5 min read · Educational
Postnatal Back Pain: What Really Causes It
Here’s the truth: it’s not about the presence of pregnancy hormones — it’s about what those hormones do to your body. And that distinction matters enormously for how and when you actually get better.
Why Pregnancy Hormones Cause Postnatal Back Pain
Every pregnant woman experiences a surge of hormones — that part is true. But what those hormones do is loosen the ligaments and tendons that support the pelvic girdle and lower back. The clinical term is ligamentous laxity. What it means practically is that the structures designed to stabilize your pelvis and spine are no longer giving those areas the support they need.
This happens because your body is preparing for birth. The ligaments in the lower back and hip area need to soften and become more supple so the baby has room to come through. It’s a completely normal process — until it goes too far, or the laxity persists long after it’s needed.
When ligament support is reduced and you’re simultaneously carrying extra weight in the form of fluid and a growing baby, the joints in the lower back and pelvis come under significant pressure. They can shift out of their correct alignment. The muscles around them overwork to compensate. And the result is the postnatal back pain that can start during pregnancy and continue well after birth.
Why Are the Hormones Released?
The body releases relaxin and other hormones specifically to make delivery possible — softer, more mobile ligaments mean a smoother exit for the baby. This is normal and necessary. The problem arises when the laxity overshoots, when the joints don’t return to correct alignment, or when the muscles that have been overworking to compensate have become tight, fatigued, and painful long after the birth.
Why Postnatal Back Pain Doesn’t Just Disappear After Birth
The hormones don’t switch off the moment the baby arrives. And the structural changes they caused don’t automatically reverse. For approximately 1 in 5 women, back pain persists well beyond the birth — and if you’re still struggling 2–3 months postpartum, that’s a clinical signal worth taking seriously.
What’s typically happening at that point: the ligaments have been overstretched, the joints in the lower back and hips have settled into a less-than-ideal position, and the muscles surrounding those joints are chronically overworked and tight as they attempt to provide the stability the ligaments are no longer reliably delivering. Those tight, fatigued muscles are the reason you feel tired and tense all the time — not just in your back, but throughout your body.
How PhysioFit Treats Postnatal Back Pain
The most effective approach is manual realignment — a hands-on technique that uses gentle mobilization, targeted massage, and precise movement to bring the pelvis and lower back joints back into correct position. When the joints are aligned, the muscles no longer need to compensate. The pain drops. The fatigue eases. And the exercises that follow actually produce results because the body is in a position to use them.
At PhysioFit, postnatal back pain treatment combines manual realignment with a personalized exercise program built around where your body is right now — not a standard postpartum protocol. The combination of the right hands-on work and the right movement program produces the kind of improvement that rest, time, and generic advice simply don’t deliver.
A complimentary phone consultation is the first step. Tell us what’s going on and we’ll tell you honestly whether we can help. Serving Los Altos and Silicon Valley.
Kim Gladfelter is a physical therapist, Pilates instructor, educator, author, and founder of PhysioFit Physical Therapy & Wellness in Los Altos, CA. She is a leading expert in pelvic floor rehabilitation, women’s health, and healing through movement — and a trusted voice in the Silicon Valley health community.
Kim has helped men and women of all ages stay active, move without pain, and avoid unnecessary medications or surgery. She writes regularly on physical therapy, pain science, and pelvic health — and is dedicated to making advanced, evidence-based care accessible to everyone in her community.