PAIN DURING PREGNANCY

PAIN DURING PREGNANCY

"About 80% of women experience some sort of back pain during their pregnancy."

- Andrew Schweltz, gynecology institute, MA.

Back pain is ubiquitous in today’s society and is particularly common during pregnancy. Multiple factors are contributing to these symptoms during pregnancy including pelvic changes as well as alterations to loading.

Potential imaging modalities are limited during pregnancy due to the desire to limit ionizing radiation exposure to the fetus. Treatments are generally conservative, exercise-based interventions and alternative modalities may also be considered. Low back pain associated with pregnancy does generally resolve postpartum.

There are a lot of hard things about pregnancy and joint pain is among the hardest. Whether you experience knee pain, hip pain, joint pain, or sciatica, there are plenty of solutions to help relieve your pain.

WHEN DOES JOINT PAIN START IN PREGNANCY

Joint pain can start as early as 8 to 12 weeks during the first peek of the hormone relaxin. You can start doing strengthening and cardio exercises for pain relief.

Continuing these exercises throughout your pregnancy can greatly reduce your joint pain and hip pain. Talk to your doctor about your pregnancy joint pain if it intensifies, prevents you from doing simple activities, or leads to other symptoms. 

HOW TO HANDLE JOINT PAIN DURING PREGNANCY 

         1. Use the SpineDeck

The SpineDeck is a back stretcher shaped like a semicircle designed for muscle tension relief and back pain relief. Use it on your hips and legs to help with that restless sleep syndrome during pregnancy.

        2. Choose the best sleeping positions for pregnancy

Sleeping comfortably during pregnancy is nearly impossible. If you’re waking up frequently to turn over because of hip pain while sleeping on your side, you’re not alone.

And of course, sleeping on your side is the only safe position for you and your baby.

Try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs, keeping your legs bent, or using a pillow to support your abdomen (baby bump). 

         3. Exercise

Exercise has many benefits during pregnancy such as improving your sleep, preventing excess weight gain, lowering the risk of gestational diabetes (or helping maintain blood sugar levels if you have it), shortening labor, and reducing the risk of having a C-section.

Another amazing benefit of exercise is decreased joint pain. As you strengthen and tone your muscles, it can help reduce pregnancy joint pain. 

         4. Take a bath

You might wonder, is taking a bath while pregnant safe for my baby? You should always ask your doctor if you’re concerned about something being safe for your baby. Taking a bath can help relax your muscles and reduce your joint pain. Although, you should take a few precautions before you get out the salts.

  • Make sure your bath water isn’t too hot.
  • And don’t take a bath after your water has broken because it could cause an infection. As long as you follow these two rules, enjoy a nice soak. Why does a bath help with joint pain during pregnancy? Heat opens up blood vessels, promoting healing and soothing sore muscles to reduce pain.

 

        Final Hack: Adding Epsom salt (about 2 cups into your bath) will help relieve sore muscles, and it is safe to use for you and your baby. Epsom salt helps soothe your muscles, helps with digestion, reduces stress, and soothes stretching skin.

Have a healthy week. Talk soon! 
Alexia

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