 In the US 700,000 pregnant women are prescribed bed rest each year, including most of those expecting triplets or larger multiple births. Often, however, the incapacitating effects of total bed rest leave mothers unprepared for the psychological and physical challenges they face.
Professor of physical therapy at the University of South Alabama, Jean Irion, said; ‘As a result of prolonged bed rest, pregnant women experience an array of symptoms ranging from cardiovascular deconditioning, musculoskeletal discomforts, stressful postures and positions, skin breakdown, muscle weakness, as well as psychological issues such as guilt, stress, and depression’.
Irion recommends, and teaches therapists how to prescribe, specially-designed physical activity for women on bed rest. ‘Physical therapy is often equated with exercise, and many physicians equate exercise to a strong potential for exacerbating a given high-risk condition, so they don't suggest pregnant women restricted to bed rest see a physical therapist. This is a huge mistake’ she said, ‘Our aim is for these women to maintain some strength, flexibility and range of motion in the upper and lower extremities, so they'll be prepared for the demands of lifting carrying, and holding their babies’.
Source: HealthDay News
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