Pregnancy is a special and beautiful moment in a woman's life, but Pelvic pain is a common symptom during pregnancy. What can you do to reduce pelvic pain? We tell you more about it here.
When do you experience lower back pain and pelvic discomfort during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, hormones are coursing through your body, including the pregnancy hormone relaxin. This hormone causes the supportive ligaments of your joints to weaken and your joints themselves to soften. In the second and third trimester, your belly expands considerably. This probably causes you to lean back a little to keep yourself balanced. This leads to a change in your posture. These factors can cause pelvic pain and back pain. You may also experience pelvic and back pain due to weight gain.
How do you recognise pelvic pain?
The symptoms are mostly related to the degree of stress on the pelvis and low back. Pain may also be localised to the buttock region, upper leg and/or pubic bone and groin. Pain in the tailbone is also common. The pain may be present on both sides or unilaterally. The symptoms often consist of pain and laborious movement.
Pelvic symptoms are aggravated by:
- Certain movements (twisting and bending)
- Standing, cycling, walking, sitting or lying down for too long (more than 30 minutes)
- Getting up from or turning over in bed
- Bending and lifting
- Stairs
- Getting in and out of the car
- Sexual intercourse
Posture and movement advice for pelvic pain:
The most important advice for pelvic pain is always: balance load and load capacity. Always alternate periods of (physical) activity with moments of rest.
- Sitting: With relaxed hips, don't keep the knees together but rather let them fall out a bit or keep them neutral to the front and your toes turned out a bit.
- Stand: Stand with knees slightly bent. Distribute your weight on both legs. Above all, do not hover on 1 leg.
- Stand up or sit down: symmetrically or in stride position, with stabilisation of the pelvis by first slightly tightening the transverse abdominal muscles.
- Sleep: Sleep with a pillow between your knees when lying on your side. This position keeps the pelvic position stable.
- Walking: Try walking on sturdy good shoes more often.
- Lifting: Use the abdominal muscles, it helps stabilise the pelvis and prevent pain.
- Wearing pelvic band: Only during relatively strenuous activities and not all day. Preferably only after the 30th week and first properly teach pelvic stabilisation.
- A good balance between exercise and flat rest is important. It is then also important to learn one's own limits.
The condition of stabilising muscles, such as the abdominal and back muscles, affects the prevention of pelvic pain symptoms. It is therefore important to keep the muscles around the pelvis and lower back fit and active or regain them. Guided by the physiotherapist, you can do special exercises to strengthen this group of muscles without putting strain on your pelvis.
What can you do when pelvic symptoms persist?
If your pelvic symptoms persist or even get worse contact your GP or a specialised physiotherapist. With physiotherapy treatment, you will be given exercises and advice aimed at correcting your posture and teaching you how to move with as little extra strain on the pelvis as possible.
If you continue to have complaints, please feel free to contact with us at 085-5000333 or info@friskfysio.nl. We will be happy to help you so you can enjoy your pregnancy as much as possible!
