[Back pain is a major problem for many pregnant women].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of back pains, identify their location and the association between age, time of pregnancy, nervous injury and the presence of pain prior to pregnancy.


METHODS
Back pain was identified by means of a descriptive study. From January to December of 2001, using a questionnaire structured by the authors, 203 pregnant women arriving for Pre-natal care were interviewed after selection in the waiting rooms of the Primary Health care Units of the city of Paulínia (state of São Paulo).


RESULTS
Prevalence of back pain was of 79.8%; of these location in the lumbar region was reported by 80.8% and in the sacroiliac by 49.1% of the pregnant women. Pain was more frequent among younger women. Prevalence of back pain did not increase with progress of pregnancy. Symptoms of nervous injury not related to the site of the back pain were reported by 47.7% of those pregnant.


CONCLUSIONS
Almost 80% of the pregnant women reported back pain at some time during pregnancy. The most often reported sites were the lumbar and sacroiliac. Pain was more frequent among the younger women. Half of the pregnant women reported symptoms of nervous injury.
Martins
Roseny Flávia
RF
Departamento de Tocoginecologia, FCM/UNICAMP, Rua Alexander Fleming 10, 101 Cidade universitária, Campinas, SP, CEP:13083-970 São Paulo, Brazil.
Silva
João Luiz Pinto E
JL
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires