The Common Causes Of Pregnancy Aches and Pains
Women have different pregnancy experiences. Some women glow like the radiant sun, and others find themselves confined to their homes riddled with aches and pains. It’s no secret that growing another human being is anything but smooth sailing – although some women do boast about a pain-free, dreamless pregnancy. For the most part, however, pain is an expected accomplice throughout the journey.
Below, we’ll look at some of the common areas of the body that women experience pain during pregnancy and why it happens.
Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain (LBP) is the most common site for pain during pregnancy – 50-80% of women experience LBP at some point during their pregnancy. The main can range from mild to bedridden severe. The reason behind it is the natural softening of ligaments that occur to prepare the body for labor.
Women suffering from LBP can try pregnancy massages, pregnancy yoga, and simple stretching exercises. The BC Back Pain & Chiropractor Clinic has a great blog post that lists ten exercises suitable for back pain, including lower back pain.
Knee and Ankle Pain
You might hear pregnant women talking about their swollen, painful ankles – or kankles, as some women like to refer to them as. All jokes aside, swollen knees and ankles are a real problem for some women who suffer from mobility issues as a result. The growing uterus causes excess fluid that collects around the ankle and knee joints. That causes stiffness, pain, and aches.
Healthline lists some great tips that might help to resolve ankle and knee pain due to swelling:
- Reduce your sodium intake
- Increase your potassium
- Reduce caffeine intake
- Elevate the feet and rest
It’s worth noting that some women are more susceptible to fluid-related swelling during pregnancy that doesn’t go until after pregnancy – but anything that might alleviate it is worth trying.
Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain, or pelvic girdle pain, is another common source of trouble for women during pregnancy. There are multiple reasons for flare-ups of pain in this region – mainly the weight of the tiny human bearing down from above. Other reasons include hormone changes and the relaxation of ligaments ready for labor.
Remedies include manual therapy to ensure the joints in the pelvis, hips, and spine are moving like normal. Some women like to try pelvic floor exercises. Others explore movements in a warm pool of water. These remedies aren’t guaranteed to work, but it’s worth a try.
Rib Pain
Rib pain is one of the lesser common areas for pregnancy pains, but millions of women still suffer from the problem. Rib pain typically occurs during the last few months of pregnancy when everything really begins to expand – and the baby decides it’s fun to kick their awaiting mother in the ribs. Baby kicks and positioning are the two most common causes of rib pain, and they’re hard to solve.
Sadly, rib pain is one of the aches and pains that most women have to grin and bear until the end.
Aches and pains are a natural part of pregnancy – it’s rare for women to breeze through without a twinge of pain. Even though there are remedies, there’s often no proven cure for pregnancy pains. Always contact a medical professional if you’re concerned about any pregnancy pains you’re experiencing.
