BIOMECHANICAL CHANGES IN THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANT FEMALES IN COMPARISON WITH NON PREGNANT FEMALES OF SAME AGE GROUP

  Abstract Background: During pregnancy, women experience several changes in the body’s physiology, morphology, and hormonal system which lead to biomechanical changes for example range of motion at cervical, lumbar, gait patterns and foot position, which is considered as a part of normal postural adaptations. Objective:  To determine biomechanical variations between third trimester pregnant women and the non-pregnant women in terms of range of motion at the cervical and the lumbar spine, step length, stride length, speed and number of steps, arch height and anatomic position of foot. Methodology: It was a comparative cross sectional had a sample size 210 comprising of 69 pregnant females and 141 non pregnant females aging between 18 to 35 yrs. Assessment was done by using an iPhone®5S I handy level© app for measuring the range of motion at the cervical and lumbar spine. A 6” by 6” POP sheet for measuring step length, stride length, number of steps and speed and navicular drop test for arch height and anatomic position of foot respectively. Results: In the assessment of cervical and lumbar flexion and extension range of motion the non-pregnant females group had greater range in both flexion and extension than pregnant females with the P value <0.01. Pregnant females presented with the low arch height, pronated foot, decreased step length, stride length and speed than non-pregnant having P <0.001. Conclusion: Pregnant females had reduced range of motion at cervical and lumbar spine, a drop in arch height, pronated foot position, a decrease in speed, step and stride length was observed in comparison to the non-pregnant females of the same age group.