Effectiveness of Prenatal Exercise in Reducing Back Pain in Third Trimester Pregnant Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Back pain is a common complaint experienced by pregnant women, especially in the third trimester, due to changes in body biomechanics, weight gain, and hormonal changes. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of prenatal exercise as a non-pharmacological strategy in reducing back pain in pregnant women in the third trimester. The method used was a quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design involving two groups, namely the intervention group that did prenatal exercise for 4 weeks and the control group that did not do the intervention. Back pain measurements were carried out using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and after the intervention. The results showed that there was a significant decrease in pain in the intervention group compared to the control group (p <0.05). The average VAS score in the intervention group decreased from 6.8 ± 1.2 to 3.4 ± 1.1, while in the control group there was only a slight change from 6.7 ± 1.3 to 6.1 ± 1.2. These results indicate that prenatal exercise is effective in reducing back pain during the third trimester of pregnancy. Compared to other methods such as massage therapy or acupuncture, prenatal exercise is more accessible, economical, and can be done independently. Therefore, prenatal exercise can be recommended as part of a prenatal program to improve the comfort and well-being of pregnant women. Further socialization and education are needed so that pregnant women understand the benefits and correct techniques in doing prenatal exercise.