On Bed Rest? So Get Moving
Simple exercises help maintain flexibility and healthy muscles

(HealthDay News) -- An order of bed rest during pregnancy doesn't necessarily mean no movement at all.

In fact, physical therapy using specially designed exercises has been shown to keep the muscles from atrophying and help women maintain their strength and flexibility.

"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 in Mobile, said in a prepared statement.

About 700,000 women with high-risk pregnancies are put on bed rest each year in the United States , according to the American Physical Therapy Association.

Doctors might be hesitant to prescribe physical therapy because the reason they generally ordered bed rest was out of concern for the health of either mom or baby -- and staying quiet is believed to help some conditions from progressing.

"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," Irion said.

But that's "a huge mistake," she said. "We're not training these women to compete in a triathlon following delivery. 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."

Women are put on bed rest for a variety of reasons. According to the American Pregnancy Association, these include:

• High blood pressure or related conditions, such as preeclampsia
• Vaginal bleeding
• Cervical changes
• Expected multiple birth
• Premature labor
• Gestational diabetes
• Poor fetal development
• History of pregnancy problems, such as stillbirth or premature delivery
• Placenta complications, such as abruption and placenta previa or accretia

Bed rest can help lower blood pressure and reduce strain on the abdominal area because pregnant women won't be working, lifting or participating in normal exercise if they're on bed rest.

But just sitting in bed can lead to other problems, such as lost muscle tone and strength, which leaves women ill-prepared for the physical demands of new motherhood, the therapy group says.

Exercises that can be done in bed (once a doctor has given approval) include squeezing stress balls, pressing hands and feet against the bed, turning arms and feet in circles and tensing and tightening leg and arm muscles.

On the Web

For tips on surviving pregnancy bed rest, check out information from the Nemours Foundation.

SOURCES: HealthDay News ; American Physical Therapy Association, news release, April 2007; American Pregnancy Association (www.americanpregnancy.org)
Author: Serena Gordon
Publication Date: May 31, 2008
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