Hip joints hurt during pregnancy: causes and what to do?

During pregnancy, the woman’s body undergoes significant changes. It is not only about external, but also internal preparation for bearing a baby. All organs work in an enhanced mode, providing the fetus with the necessary nutrients and creating the most comfortable conditions for its development. In this regard, the expectant mother often experiences malaise and pain, complains that the hip joints hurt during pregnancy. According to studies, the majority of women in an “interesting position” are faced with discomfort in the hip and lower extremities.

Causes of pain, excluding pathology

Among the possible reasons why the hip joint hurts during pregnancy, which do not affect the health and development of the child, there are:

1. Hormonal adjustment. Literally from the first week after fertilization of the egg in the body of the expectant mother, the level of progesterone increases significantly, which, in turn, is responsible for the preservation and stable course of gestation. One of the main functions of the endogenous steroid is the preparation of ligaments and pelvic muscles for the future labor process. Pelvic tissues become more elastic and soft, which is why retention of the hip joint is complicated at times. As a result, even small physical exertion often causes pain and discomfort in the pelvic area, hip joints ache during pregnancy. The problem is further exacerbated in the last weeks of gestation. This is due to the production of another hormone - relaxin, which has a relaxing effect on the uterus and ligaments of the pubic joint, preparing for childbirth. Moreover, it is able to affect all joints in the body.
2. Weight gain. Over the entire period of pregnancy, on average, a woman's body weight increases by 8-20 kg. This is explained not only by an increase in the growth and weight of the fetus, but also by its environment, by the complication of the blood circulation, because now you have to feed a small miracle through the placenta. During pregnancy, the volume of blood in a woman’s body increases to 1.5 liters. All these factors inevitably exert pressure on the joints, especially the hip part of the body.
3. Lack of calcium. A significant amount of vitamins and minerals entering the mother’s body is spent on the development of the fetus. Lack of nutrients makes the bone tissue of the hip joints less dense, leading to atrophy and depletion of muscles and cartilage. Therefore, hip joints hurt during pregnancy.
4. Displacement of organs. The uterus, which is constantly increasing in size, exerts pressure on the organs surrounding it and shifts them from its location. Not infrequently, this causes a deterioration in well-being, a violation of the functioning of the organs of the genitourinary system, and the gastrointestinal tract, causing pain and discomfort in the lumbar and hip joints. In addition, local circulatory disorders are reflected on the legs in the form of tingling and heaviness.

Due to natural changes in the body during the period of bearing a child, approximately 70-80% of women report that their hip joints hurt during pregnancy at night. Painful sensations are periodic in nature, most often they intensify after a long walk, physical activity. After a short rest, health improves and only in exceptional cases may hospitalization be required.

Pathological causes

In some cases, pregnancy serves as an impetus for the development and exacerbation of certain diseases. The most common causes of a pathological nature, why the hip joint hurts during pregnancy, include:

1. Inflammatory or infectious processes, degenerative diseases of the supporting apparatus, including fibromyalgia, arthritis, arthrosis, spondylitis. Among other things, the effects of severe injuries and surgery in the past can cause hip joint pain during pregnancy. Pathologies are accompanied by discomfort of varying severity, one or more joints. In the presence of acute inflammation, redness, swelling, tightness of normal mobility can be observed.
2. Symphysitis. The disease is characterized by the discrepancy of the pubic bones to several centimeters and the inflammatory process of the pubic joint. The pronounced symptoms of pathology are aching pains in the pubic area, responding to the leg, clicks when walking, changing gait, inability to part and raise legs in a lying position.
3. Diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract. An increased burden on organs from 4 months of pregnancy in some cases affects the hip joints and lower back. Among the main symptoms are: swelling of the lower extremities, frequent urination, discoloration of the urine, increased fatigue, thirst.
4. Depressive state. About 30% of women during the period of bearing a baby suffer from feelings of anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue, which may be the result of discomfort in places of large and small joints.

In some cases, pain in the hip joint during pregnancy may be associated with improper presentation of the fetus. This, in turn, leads to a significant load on the ligaments. Most often, discomfort occurs when you are in the same position for a long time and is localized in one area.

Hormonal changes

Throughout pregnancy, the body of the expectant mother reproduces the hormones progesterone and estrogen, they affect the reproductive system of the fetus and women. Endogenous steroids are distinguished by a number of physiological actions on the body, which enhance the metabolism of mother and baby. Progesterone is activated only under the influence of estrogen. It, in turn, promotes the natural transition of the endometrium to the secretory stage, reduces uterine contractions and protects the immune system so that the embryo is not rejected by the woman’s body. Estrogen promotes the development and preparation of the genitals for pregnancy and childbirth, improves the ducts of the mammary gland.

However, hormones have not only a positive effect, it is worth highlighting the negative points. Since, to a greater extent, the restructuring of the hormonal system is aimed at maintaining the fetus and reproductive systems, saturation of bone and articular tissue is impoverished. Muscles lose their tone, cartilage softens, the ligament-tendon apparatus becomes more elastic, hence the pain in the hip joints during pregnancy in the early stages. Thus, the body is prepared for natural delivery.

Treatment methods

Only the attending physician is able to determine the exact cause of pain in the hip joint during pregnancy. Therefore, if a feeling of discomfort occurs, it is important to inform the gynecologist about this, who will prescribe an appropriate examination. If a pathology is detected during it, the doctor will prescribe treatment depending on the nature of the disease and the picture of the ongoing pregnancy. If pain and discomfort are caused by physiological processes, the woman will be given a series of recommendations to alleviate the symptoms.

Exercise and load balancing

As a prevention and reduction of pain in the hip joint during pregnancy, it is recommended:

• Wear supporting underwear and bandage;
• sleep on a mattress with a rigid orthopedic base;
• use lumbar rollers and pillows specially designed for pregnant women;
• limit long walks and heavy loads;
• wear orthopedic shoes or buy special insoles;
• during the day more often to rest lying on its side;
• to make short but frequent walks in the fresh air;
• if doctors do not forbid, then you need to engage in sports that do not involve high loads (swimming, yoga, etc.).
  
  
  
  
  
  

If the hip joint hurts from early pregnancy, doctors recommend doing the following exercises:

1. Rotation of the pelvis. Starting position: you need to stand upright, legs apart at shoulder width apart. Palms rest against the protruding bones of the pelvis. Begin slowly with minimal amplitude, the rotational movements of the pelvis in a clockwise direction, and then in the opposite direction. Number of repetitions: 10-15 times in each direction.
2. Unloading from the hip joint. Starting position: lying on your back, legs extended, arms lie along the body. Turns slowly begin from the back to one side and back, then to the other side. After that, the legs smoothly pull to the stomach and also smoothly stretch. In conclusion, lying straight, legs on the floor, limbs are bred and brought together. The number of repetitions of each exercise is 10-15 times.
3. Butterfly. Starting position: sitting on the floor, the back is straightened, the soles are closed. The feet try to shift as close to the pubis as possible. Hands lie on the inside of the hips and lightly pressing movements need to touch the knees of the floor. Number of repetitions: 20 times.

Each exercise is performed at a slow pace, if you experience a feeling of pain or tiredness, you must stop the activity.

Massage and physiotherapy

If your hip joints hurt during pregnancy, you can do a relaxing massage in this area to improve your well-being at home. For this, a pharmacy drug or vegetable oil that is approved for pregnant women is applied to the skin and is applied to it with light massaging movements. Coverage: hips, joints, lower and lateral back. Regular massage will not only relieve pain, but also increase the elasticity of the skin, which reduces the likelihood of stretch marks.

Physiotherapy during pregnancy with pain in the hip joint is carried out strictly for medical reasons. The course of treatment may be short, exposure to light, vibration, ultrasound and a weak electrical impulse are allowed.

Before starting any procedure, the doctor must be notified of the presence of diseases and the duration of pregnancy. Some procedures for the hip joints may well affect the normal course of gestation, cause premature birth or involuntary miscarriage.

Dieting

The fetal bone tissue is formed from the seventh week of pregnancy, during this period the body requires an increased dose of minerals and calcium, which can only be obtained from the woman’s body. To replenish calcium intake, the expectant mother needs to increase the daily rate by three times. In addition, providing mineralization of the bone, muscle, joint and ligamentous system, necessarily requires the use of vitamin D.

If the right or left hip joints hurt during pregnancy, nutritional deficiencies in the future mother's body can be diagnosed. To solve the problem, you need to adjust your daily diet. First of all, it is important to monitor the body's water balance and consume foods rich in calcium and magnesium:

• dairy and sour-milk products (cheese, cottage cheese, kefir, feta cheese);
• lean meats (rabbit, turkey, chicken, beef);
• sea ​​and ocean fish;
• boiled eggs;
• Fresh and baked seasonal fruits and vegetables.

On the recommendation of a doctor, it is necessary to take course complexes containing the necessary trace elements and nutritional supplements for pregnant women.

Drug therapy

In cases where physiotherapy and massage do not give a positive effect, and pain in the hip joint during pregnancy continues or intensifies, the doctor may prescribe medication. The use of drugs during gestation is strictly limited. Independent choice of therapy is unacceptable.

Typically, these groups of drugs are prescribed:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of capsules, sachets, tablets and syrups. Such as: "Paracetamol", "Ibuprofen", "Nurofen", "Papaverine."
• Anesthetizing ointments, creams and gels for topical application to foci of pain (Ketorolac, Nurofen, Ibuprofen, Menovazin).

You can resort to drug therapy only in cases of emergency and in the absence of contraindications. Each drug is used only as prescribed by the doctor and in accordance with the recommended dosage. For ongoing pain in the hip joints, inpatient treatment is indicated.

Alternative treatment

To reduce pain in the hip joint during pregnancy, you can, using the means of alternative medicine:

• Make compresses of steamed oatmeal, white or blue clay, celery root.
• Lotions with decoctions of medicinal herbs: lingonberry leaves, eucalyptus, pine needles, chamomile, birch buds.
• Massage using ice cubes, alcohol tincture of walnut, honey and salt.
• Rubbing with pine extracts and ghee.

If pain in the hip joint is associated with physiological causes and there is no need for special treatment, you can improve the condition with physiotherapy exercises, massage, traditional medicine and diet.

Complications after childbirth, recovery

Often, even after pregnancy, the pain in the hip joint does not stop. Not in all cases this is due to a change in the forms of the pelvis. As a rule, a female body, subject to physiological stress caused by labor, responds with periodic pain localized in different anatomical zones.

Often, pain in the hip joint is due to the return of symptoms of pain in the lumbosacral region. During the period of gestation, all muscle groups, ligaments and tendons underwent changes, were stretched or shortened. The recovery period of the entire musculoskeletal system and ligaments of the anatomical departments requires some time. The exceptions are chronic diseases and neurological pathologies, which you must inform your doctor about before delivery.

For every woman, the recovery process after childbirth is of great importance, since the musculoskeletal system has largely changed over the nine months of pregnancy. With constantly increasing loads on the joints and lumbar spine, the functionality of muscles, ligaments and tendons changes radically. Moreover, there is a shift in the center of gravity of the entire musculoskeletal system. As a result, women experience pain and discomfort in the lumbar, knee, and hip joints.

After childbirth, muscle cramps, cramps in the lower limbs, or aches in the bones may occur. Weight gained during pregnancy only exacerbates the problem. If over time it turns into obesity, the risk of cardiovascular pathologies or metabolic syndromes increases.

Prevention

If a woman is faced with such an unpleasant problem, and wonders what to do, the hip joint hurts during pregnancy, you need to remember: regular rest and relaxation will prevent complications. Whenever possible it is necessary to avoid stressful situations and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

To maintain normal weight, it is recommended to follow a diet. Limit the use of fried and fatty foods, spicy, smoked, flour products, convenience foods and instant foods. Proper nutrition is the key to normal metabolism.

Among other things, pregnant women are recommended:

• To do a light massage of the knees, ankles, hands and hips with light patting, circular and pinching movements.
• Drink the required amount of water daily.
• It is important to monitor the weight, gain it gradually, not overeat.
• More often take a walk in the fresh air and do not miss the prescribed visits to the doctor.

Pregnancy is a special time in the life of every woman. It is important to remember that any, even minor ailment, can affect the health and development of the fetus.