Is back pain due to pregnancy?

Dear Doctor:I am pregnant but I have bad back pain yet I did not have it before I got pregnant. I am not even doing my daily chores. Is it because I have no house help?
— Martina

Dear Martina: Much as back pain in pregnancy can happen because the pregnancy is threatening an early exit, weight gain, as a baby grows, postural and hormonal changes as well as stress, it has the usual inevitable causes.
Backache, therefore, can happen to any pregnant woman without other problems that may threaten a pregnancy. That said constipation and overwork especially while bending can only worsen matters.
It is, therefore, important to correct constipation with taking a lot of water, vegetables and fruits apart from exercising such as taking a walk, swimming or doing angry cat exercises. It may be necessary to get another person to help out with your daily chores to ease back pain. A hot water bottle application to the back can also help out as well as sleeping on the left side with a pillow in between the legs.
It is not advised to take painkillers during pregnancy because they may affect the pregnancy or even cause a miscarriage.