title: Back pain/discomfort in pregnancy: invisible and forgotten.
abstract: This paper is a comprehensive literature review of original research on the nature of back pain/discomfort in pregnancy. The causes of back pain/discomfort in pregnancy are reviewed and discussed, and the clinical manifestations and implications are explored. This analysis revealed that approximately 50% of pregnant women experience back pain/discomfort with little or no intervention from their health care providers. Thus, back pain/discomfort in pregnancy seems to be invisible and forgotten in contemporary antenatal care. Evidence-based guidelines are provided for both women and health professionals as a way of increasing attention to the prevention of unnecessary back pain/discomfort during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: C onnie G reenwood is the Liason Midwife for the GP/Shared Care Antenatal Program at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Stainton