Simple Workout Urged for Pregnant Women on Bed Rest

2007/05/12

Too much inactivity can atrophy muscles, physical therapists warn

Pregnant women restricted to bed rest can and should do safe, specially-designed physical activity, say experts at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

Women with high-risk pregnancies (including nearly all those carrying triplets or more) are regularly put on bed rest. But, in many cases, the incapacitating effects of total bed rest are not being addressed, leaving some expectant mothers ill-prepared for pre- and post-partum physical and psychological challenges.

"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," Jean Irion, a professor of physical therapy at the University of South Alabama said.

Irion teaches physiotherapists to develop safe physical activity programs for pregnant women on bed rest to minimize loss of muscle tone and strength and to make the women as comfortable as possible.