8 Tips for Relief From Hip Pain During Pregnancy
While pregnancy is a cause for celebration, you may be feeling a little off if you are suffering from hip or pelvic pain. The joy in anticipating your new arrival may be dampened by aches and pain that can spread over the pubic bone, across the lower back, and sometimes even down to the lower thighs.
While hip pain does not affect the baby, it does affect the health of 1 in 5[1] pregnant women to some extent. Some pregnant ladies may experience mild discomfort, but for others, the pain is so extreme it disrupts their daily routine.
Read on to find out what you can do to help relieve hip and pelvic pain while you are pregnant, the reasons behind them, and when you might need to see a doctor.
8 Tips For Relief From Hip Pain During Pregnancy
While it is not clear why some pregnant women experience hip pain and some do not, here are eight ways on how to cope during pregnancy.
- Engaging in regular exercise
- Applying a warm compress or taking a bath
- Finding ways to relax
- Adjusting your sleeping position
- Wearing a maternity belt
- Attending physiotherapy
- Taking pain relief medication
- Acupuncture
How To Relieve Hip Pain During Pregnancy
Pain in your hips or pelvic area can start during any stage of pregnancy, but most pregnant women suffer soreness during the second and third trimesters[2] and can sometimes affect the mother even after birth.
Regular exercise
It is a good idea to stay active if you can, but choose exercises suitable for you and avoid high-impact exercise that requires skipping or jumping. If an activity makes your pain worse, avoid it.
Regular low impact exercises requiring low or moderate effort, such as walking or swimming, might be beneficial. You can also try activities aimed at pregnancy, such as antenatal yoga or pilates.
General lunges and stretches are an excellent way to restore balance and strengthen your back and abdominal muscles[3] weakened during pregnancy.
Warm compress or bath
You can apply warm compresses to the sore area to help alleviate some aches and pains. The warming sensation helps improve blood circulation and reduces the stiffness of the joints, relieving some soreness.
Relax your aching body in a warm bath, ensuring the water is not cold and not hot enough to make you sweat.
You can also alleviate pelvic pain by using a heating pad or a damp towel soaked in warm water and applying it to the affected area for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. Take care not to use too much heat or pressure and not to apply directly onto your belly.
Relaxation techniques
You may consider relaxation techniques to help reduce strain and tension in your muscles. A gentle massage may help to relieve pain and soreness in related areas.
Remember to pace yourself, break up your daily routine into little tasks, making sure you leave time to rest and relax in between each one.
If you are working, take regular breaks and change the position you are in, gently stretching your legs if you can. If you are not sure when to stop working during pregnancy, have a look here.
Sleeping position
You may suffer increased pain during the second trimester as your tummy continues to grow. It may be more comfortable to sleep on your side and with your legs bent.
Try placing a long pillow between your knees and along the length of your leg to help align your spine and provide stability for your pelvic bones. Studies show that if you sleep on your side, it reduces the risk of stillbirth[4].
You can also put another pillow just under your belly to alleviate the strain your growing tummy has on your back and hips. If you need to turn while in bed, try to keep your knees together and turn slowly.
If you find standing up causes too much discomfort, you may need to do some of your daily tasks while sitting down, such as getting dressed in the morning. Rest as much as you can to relieve pressure and strain on the pelvis.
Maternity belt
A maternity support belt (sometimes also called a prenatal belt, belly band, pelvic support belt, or brace) can help to reduce pain in the lower back and hips[5]. Wearing one can aid discomfort, particularly during the second and third trimesters, when your baby belly becomes heavier.
Try wearing one under the belly and around the hips; this helps stabilize your pelvis, which reduces strain and related pain.
If you experience sharp, shooting pain radiating from your pelvis towards the lower back, you might be suffering from pain affecting the sacroiliac joints. Wearing a prenatal belt or brace helps to stabilize the joint and reduces discomfort.
Physiotherapy
A physiotherapist will assess your symptoms and examine your hip, pelvic and back joints and muscles.
Physical therapy may include a gentle massage and a personalized exercise plan to strengthen muscles that support the joints causing you pain. Studies show pelvic stabilizing[6] exercises can reduce joint pain in your hips and pelvis.
You may also receive a belly-support belt to help combat the weight of your growing tummy and provide some relief for you.
Pain relief medication
If you experience pain that is too much to bear, consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice on OTC pain medication. Pregnant women can safely take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or paracetamol for pain relief in the recommended doses.
On occasions, your doctor may prescribe more potent analgesics containing codeine. It is best to use these with caution as prolonged use of opioids during pregnancy is linked with newborns with an increased need for respiratory treatment[7].
Anti-inflammatory pain relievers such as ibuprofen are not recommended for pregnant women.
Acupuncture
Studies show that acupuncture is effective in relieving pelvic pain[6] during pregnancy. Acupuncture works by improving blood circulation in the affected painful areas and helps to reduce swelling and inflammation in the hip area.
Make sure you find an accredited acupuncturist who knows how to perform acupuncture during pregnancy.
What Causes Hip and Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy
Aches and pains in your hips and pelvic area are a sign that your body is preparing itself ready for the birth of your baby. Pain may occur when the joints of the pelvis and back are not working as they should. These can include:
- Uneven movement of the hip, pelvis, or lower back
- Weakening of pelvic floor muscles, which exerts more pressure on the pelvis or lower back
- Prior injury to your hips, pelvis, or lower back
Your hips play a significant role in supporting your body and movement, so sitting or lying in certain conditions or standing for long periods may cause pain in your hips. Here are the most common reasons for hip pain when you are pregnant.
Relaxin
During pregnancy, your body produces a hormone called relaxin, which loosens the ligaments, cartilage, and tendons[8] in the pelvic areas.
Relaxin causes the hip joints to become easier to stretch and more elastic, which subsequently causes discomfort, particularly starting in the second trimester.
This same hormone loosens pelvic joints and ligaments, making them more mobile, allowing the legs to spread sufficiently wide for labor. Pelvis ligaments that hold the uterus in place stretch as your belly grows, which can feel like spasms.
Weight gain
Weight gain during pregnancy is normal and a sign that your baby is thriving, but it does place extra pressure and strain on your bones, which can ultimately lead to hip, pelvic and back pain.
Your body’s center of gravity shifts[2] as your growing belly pulls you forward, placing more pressure on your hips. This is particularly true in the third trimester as you gain more weight.
The extra weight also puts pressure on your sciatic nerve, which can cause shooting pains from your lower back down your legs. Your growing uterus can also cause a sharp stabbing sensation.
Reducing extra weight after your baby is born can reduce pressure on your hip and pelvis. For ways to get back in shape after pregnancy, see here.
Changes in posture
As you progress through pregnancy, your increased belly automatically redistributes your weight, leading to bad posture while sitting, standing, or walking.
Soreness on one particular side of your body may be a sign that your baby is nestling on one side. Sometimes, wearing a maternity belt can provide some support for your abdomen and back, which may help correct your posture placing less strain on your hip.
Sleeping position
How you sleep can both prevent and relieve hip pain during pregnancy. You may find it most comfortable when you sleep on your side, particularly in the third trimester, but this places extra pressure on your hip, making it painful.
You may feel better while sleeping with a pillow placed between your knees to help align your legs and spine.
When To Seek Medical Help
Pelvic pain during pregnancy is normal, and generally, you do not need to see a doctor unless the pain is so severe that it interferes with your daily activities.
Talk to a medical professional to rule out preterm labor if you have persistent pelvic pain that cannot be eased or you experience the following[3] symptoms before week 37 of your pregnancy:
- Hip pain with pelvic soreness that spreads downwards to the thighs
- Lower back pain that extends to the front and sides that cannot be relieved by changing positions
- Lower abdominal pain and cramping, and particularly every ten minutes
- Any discharge from your vagina
Conclusion
- Hip pain during pregnancy is caused by weight gain, bad posture, and the hormone relaxin, which loosens ligaments in the hip and pelvic areas.
- Engage in regular low-impact exercises or gentle yoga; strengthening your abdomen and back will help ease pelvic pain. But do not overexert yourself; make sure to find time to relax or take a bath to soothe your body.
- When your hip pain becomes too severe, you can safely take acetaminophen, wear a prenatal belt, or brave acupuncture.
- Why not book yourself to see a physical therapist who can assess and advise on a personalized plan for you to alleviate pelvic pain.
- Try to sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. A poor sleeping position affects your health, rest, and recovery time and sets you up for more hip pain.
- Seek medical assistance if your pain is so severe it affects your daily life.
+ 8 sources
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- Liddle, S.D. and Pennick, V. (2015). Interventions for preventing and treating low-back and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. [online] Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26422811/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].
- Kesikburun, S., Güzelküçük, Ü., Fidan, U., Demir, Y., Ergün, A. and Tan, A.K. (2018). Musculoskeletal pain and symptoms in pregnancy: a descriptive study. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, [online] 10(12), pp.229–234. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6262502/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].
- American Pregnancy Association. (2017). Hip Pain During Pregnancy | American Pregnancy Association. [online] Available at: https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-complications/hip-pain-during-pregnancy-7167/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].
- Cronin, R.S., Li, M., Thompson, J.M.D., Gordon, A., Raynes-Greenow, C.H., Heazell, A.E.P., Stacey, T., Culling, V.M., Bowring, V., Anderson, N.H., O’Brien, L.M., Mitchell, E.A., Askie, L.M. and McCowan, L.M.E. (2019). An Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis of Maternal Going-to-Sleep Position, Interactions with Fetal Vulnerability, and the Risk of Late Stillbirth. EClinicalMedicine, [online] 10, pp.49–57. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31193832/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].
- Mens JM (2017). Does a pelvic belt reduce hip adduction weakness in pregnancy-related posterior pelvic girdle pain? A case-control study. European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, [online] 53(4). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28251846/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].
- Elden, H., Ladfors, L., Olsen, M.F., Ostgaard, H.-C. and Hagberg, H. (2005). Effects of acupuncture and stabilising exercises as adjunct to standard treatment in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain: randomised single blind controlled trial. BMJ, [online] 330(7494), p.761. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC555879/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].
- Fältmarch, S., Perttilä, I., Tuomi, U., Kautiainen, H., Gissler, M., Pennanen, P., Eriksson, J.G. and Laine, M.K. (2019). Use of opioids during pregnancy and effects of pregnancy outcomes. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, [online] 28(9), pp.1239–1245. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31286617/ [Accessed 14 May 2021].
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