Back & Joint Pain in Pregnancy
It is very common for pregnant women to complain of back pain and many others complain of pelvic, hip, knee, and many other joint pains during pregnancy. The relaxation of the joints, muscles and tendons occurs during pregnancy to help facilitate childbirth. Your hips must relax and widen in preparation for childbirth. Your body, however, does not discriminate well between creating relaxation in one area or in another. It is, unfortunately a generalized process. The degree to which your joints relax will be different in everyone. Click here for more information on preventing and relieving joint & back pain in pregnancy.
Pelvic Girdle Pain
Pain at the rear of the pelvis is known as pelvic girdle pain (PGP). It is sometimes also called sacro-iliac joint (SIJ) pain, because that is the name of the joint where problems arise. The pain is often only on one side and may be particularly painful in your buttocks. It may appear to move from side to side or be accompanied by a general back pain or pain at the front of your pelvis. It can send shooting pains into your buttocks or down the back of your legs. You may also have pain in your hips. One or both of your legs may feel very weak and you may not be able to lift them, particularly when lying down. PGP is sometimes misdiagnosed as sciatica. Only a small percentage of women have sciatica during pregnancy. We now know that most lower back or leg pain in pregnancy is PGP. Click here for more information on preventing and relieving Pelvic Girdle Pain.
Sciatic Pain in Pregnancy
Sciatica causes pain, a burning sensation, numbness, or tingling radiating from the lower back and upper buttock down the back of the thigh to the back of the leg. The result is leg pain. Sometimes the pain radiates around the hip or buttock to feel like hip pain. Sciatic pain is often a presenting problem throughout pregnancy due to the changes of the body and pressure of the growing baby pressing on the sciatic nerve. While sciatica is often associated with low back pain (lumbago), it can be present without low back pain. Severe sciatica can make walking difficult if not impossible. Sometimes the symptoms of sciatica are aggravated by walking or bending at the waist and relieved by lying down. Click here for more information on preventing and relieving sciatic pain during pregnancy.
Leg Cramps in Pregnancy
Leg cramps during pregnancy are common, often occuring at night during the second and third trimester. The exact cause of leg cramps during pregnancy isn’t clear, as there can be many factors in play.
Leg cramps are a sudden tightening of muscles, which can cause intense pain.
Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to increase circulation in the legs and feet and help prevent leg cramps during pregnancy. Click here for more information on preventing and relieving leg cramps during pregnancy.
Fluid Retention in pregnancy
Fluid retention, swelling or ‘oedema’ affects about 65% of healthy pregnant women with normal blood pressure. Oedema is basically the medical term for swelling of tissue. Fluid circulates through the lymphatic system filtering fluid from the blood through the tissues, bringing nutrients in and eliminating toxins. The lymphatic system is a network throughout the whole body. Fluid retention occurs when the fluid isn’t removed from the tissues and skin. While it can occur at any time in the pregnancy, it more commonly happens in the last 3 months of the pregnancy. This is because by about 32 weeks, the blood circulating in the woman’s body has increased by up to 50%, contributing to swelling or fluid retention. Many women find that just their ankles and feet swell as their pregnancy progresses. This swelling can be caused by the increasing pressure an enlarging uterus puts on the veins that carry blood from the legs to the heart. Click here for more information on preventing and relieving fluid retention & swelling during pregnancy.
Headaches in Pregnancy
Many women experience headaches during pregnancy, especially in the first and third trimesters. Hormonal changes that affect oestrogen levels, along with an increase in blood volume and circulation. Other potential causes for headache include lack of sleep, or general fatigue, sinus congestion, allergies, eye-strain, stress, depression, hunger, and dehydration. Tight shoulder and neck muscles put pressure on the scalp, referring pain to the head and neck which can be relieved by massage, but make sure you find a therapist that is qualified and specialises in pregnancy massage whilst you are pregnant.
Proceed with caution when taking medication to treat headaches during pregnancy. You’re not at the mercy of your headaches, though. There’s much you can do to prevent or relieve headaches during pregnancy. Click here for more information on preventing and relieving headaches during pregnancy.