Mothers

Childbearing, childbirth and child rearing all cause a severe strain on the body.  Pregnancy throws the body off balance, weakens the abdominal muscles and causes the muscles of the back to tighten.  In the last months of pregnancy the ligaments in the pelvis become more flexible which compounds the lack of support for the additional weight - most of which is held in the front of the body. 

A large baby, a difficult childbirth both place a strain on the body that is not necessarily relieved by a successful delivery.  I have had women in their 40's or 50's on the massage table that say their back or hips have hurt since the birth of their first child 20 or 25 years ago!

Carrying a baby in a car seat, almost always one handed, is a terrible strain on the arm shoulder and neck.  Many women who breast feed do so in a position that involves leaning forward, putting the back and neck in an ackward position.  Carrying a toddler around on one hip skewers the usually already weakened pelvis to one side.  Bending over and picking up the toddler, or the three, four or five year old is also hard on the back and shoulders.  To say nothing of bending over to pick up the many items small children leave around the house. 

Women who have their children fairly close together  run the risk of calcium depletion with all the attendent muscle tension (add calcium button)

And yet with all this, most mothers are so busy giving to their children that they have little time or energy to spend on self care.  Often times I don't see them until their back, neck or shoulder pain has become practically debilitating, until it seriously interfers with their ability to mother effectively.  I always think when I am helping a mom towards health and wellness that I am not only improving the quality of her life, but also the quality of life for those little ones under her care who don't see mommy wince every time she bends over to pick them up.