Why Brittany Mahomes Is Linking Her Recent Back Fracture To Her Pelvic Floor
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Brittany Mahomes shared on Instagram that she has a fractured back.
She linked the injury to pelvic floor issues she's experienced since having children.
Doctors say childbirth can leave the pelvic floor unstable.
Brittany Mahomes, former professional soccer player, is powering through after revealing she’s dealing with a fractured back.
The 28-year-old just dropped several snaps and videos in her Instagram Stories from vacation with her husband, NFL star Patrick Mahomes, and their two children, that suggest she’s doing OK.
In one, Patrick can be seen leaning up against Brittany’s bent legs. “I’m glad I can be your backrest,” she jokingly captioned the snap. Other shots show Patrick practicing archery, Brittany’s delicious-looking poolside cocktail, and shots of the couple’s kids, 1-year-old son Bronze and 3-year-old Sterling.
In another video, Sterling hangs out on Brittany’s lap while gripping a football. “This dude just wants to hold onto this football [and] not let go,” she said, as Patrick can be seen in the background, nodding.
TMZ also shared photos of Brittany playing in the sand and water with her kids, suggesting she’s rallying after sharing the news of her injury on her Instagram Story yesterday.
Meet the experts: Yves-Richard Dole, MD, an ob-0gyn with Metropolitan OB/GYN, an affiliate of The Family Childbirth and Children's Center at Mercy. Neel Anand, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles.
“Just a daily reminder: Once you have kids, please take care of your pelvic floor. Seriously,” she wrote. Brittany signed off writing, “a girl with a fractured back.”
Back fractures can happen post-childbirth—but they're relatively uncommon.
Unfortunately, this can happen after you have kids, says Yves-Richard Dole, MD, an ob/gyn with Metropolitan OB/GYN, an affiliate of The Family Childbirth and Children's Center at Mercy. “The pelvic floor is connected to the lower back, and each of the bones are connected together by a series of ligaments and tissue,” he says. Childbirth is “stressful” on your body, and it can leave your pelvic floor unstable in the aftermath, Dole explains.
“If there is a lack of stability, it can lead to further injury,” he says, noting that you can wind up with a fractured back from doing a range of activities. Dole also says this can be especially risky for active women. Still, he points out that this is “relatively uncommon.”
While Brittany suggested that this was a recent injury, it’s more common for people to fracture the coccyx (aka tailbone) during childbirth, says Christine Greves, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.
“When the baby is coming out of the birth canal, it contacts the coccyx,” Greves explains. “Of course, it’s separate by the vagina and muscles, but the bone is there.”
A tailbone fracture doesn’t happen often, but Greves says this is definitely a thing, especially in women who have a history of a tailbone fracture, those who have a narrow pelvis, or women with larger babies. “They might feel a pop” when this happens, she says.
Taking it easy is crucial.
When it comes to recovery, it's essential to allow your body to heal, says Neel Anand, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. "The main thing is to rest and get better," he says.
It's also important to avoid anything during that time that adds load to the back, says Rahul Shah, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon. "That primarily is when you bend and twist," he says. After recovery, Anand recommends focusing on core strength. "If you have a good core, it can protect your back," he says.
Despite Brittany's pelvic floor issues, she's got a solid workout routine.
While Brittany suggests her pelvic floor isn’t the strongest, it’s clear she’s been working hard at her fitness. The fitness fanatic, who majored in kinesiology in college, just showed off her physique in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and she has an online training program called Brittany Lynne Fitness.
She recently shared video on Instagram of herself doing an impressive workout while talking up her partnership with OWYN. "You’re going to want a @liveowyn protein shake after tackling this leg day #liveowyn ⬇️," she wrote in the caption. In the video, Brittany can be seen doing weighted hip thrusts, squat jumps with a resistance band around her thighs, bench crossovers, and more.
Brittany told Eating Well in December that “staying active and being in the gym has been a huge part of my life.” In addition to crushing gym workouts, Brittany revealed that walks with the kids and the dogs are on her active priority list.
Feel better, Brittany!
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