Common Pregnancy Aches & Pains
No matter how far along you are, there are some common (and not-so-common) aches and pains that often start to pop up during your pregnancy. Keep reading to find out what causes them and a learn some helpful tips you can try at home to get some relief!
Image: Pinterest
Pelvic Girdle Pain
Pelvic girdle pain affects 1 in 5 pregnant women, and most commonly arises in the second or third trimester. It can cause pain across the front or the back of your pelvis, lower back, hips, groin or your inner thighs. It’s usually worsened by activities such as walking, climbing stairs, or rolling over in bed. This can be caused by hormones (hello relaxin) and changes in your posture.
Sound familiar? Here’s some helpful tips for home:
Sleep with a pillow between your knees
Keep your legs together when rolling in bed, getting out of the car or up from the couch
Use a spiky ball on the wall to loosen off your glutes
Keep your glutes strong, pilates is especially good for this!
Lateral Hip Pain
We have a whole blog post about this here! But in summary, we commonly see this in pregnancy, as you have to constantly lay on your side.
As a result, the little bursae (think fluid filled donuts on the outside of your hips) get compressed and eventually aggravated. It may progress to the point where it interrupts your sleep (if your bladder isn’t already doing that) and it can also refer down the outside of your leg.
Helpful Tips for Home:
Avoid crossing your legs and ankles (hard but worth it, we promise!)
Sleep with a pillow between your knees
Keep your legs together when rolling in bed, getting out of the car or up from the couch
Use a heat back on your back and ice on the outsides of your hips (if really bad!)
For a further explanation on why these help, read our full blog post here!
Carpal Tunnel:
Carpal tunnel is the most common nerve entrapment issue seen in pregnancy! It usually appears in the second or third trimester and results from compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. The most common cause we see, is due to fluid retention. However, hormonal changes and swelling of the soft tissues can also cause narrowing of the carpal tunnels pace. Symptoms we often see, include pins and needles, tingling, burning, numbness and weakness of your grip. It can happen in one hand or both, and usually worsen at night time! Fortunately, most cases resolve after your baby is born!
Helpful Tips for Home:
Wrist splinting at night time
Avoid repetitive hand movements (where possible) and get an ergonomic assessment if you’re doing lots of desk work
Nerve exercises (prescribed by a physio)
Image: Pinterest
Neck & Upper Back Pain
Another common presentation we see a lot in pregnancy is upper back, neck, and shoulder pain and stiffness. This usually shows up in the third trimester, and is mostly related to changes in your posture, muscle imbalances, and increased breast size. Symptoms can include neck pain, headaches, stiffness, reduced mobility in your upper back and rib pain. It can impact your ability to get comfortable, especially when sleeping.
Helpful Tips for Home:
Postural education and good ergonomics at work, including extra breaks to move and stretch!
Rotation stretches for your upper back (eg. childs pose + thread the needle!)
Use a spiky ball up against a wall to loosen off the muscles in your upper back
Use a heat pack for easy pain relief
Have you tried all of these and still experience pain?
If you’ve tried everything above, or if your pain is getting worse then feel free to book in for some hands-on treatment with us at Sunny Side Physio.
We use a combination of massage, mobilisations, trigger point therapy, therapeutic ultrasound and cupping to release tight muscles, joints and trigger points to provide you with some relief. We also use specialised Belly Pillows during physio treatment, which allows you to lie safely on your tummy whilst getting treatment.
If you’re still unsure or if you have questions, we are always open for a chat – so feel free to send us a message or come on down to Summertown Studio and say hey if our door is open!