Three Ways To Help Hip Pain During Pregnancy
Posted on: 13 September 2016
As your body prepares to give birth, you'll find that hip and lower back pain become a part of life, especially during the second and third trimesters. While you may not be able to completely rid yourself of joint paint during pregnancy, there are some things you can do to make it better.
1. Stay active.
Unless you are put on bed rest for the sake of your health or your baby's, staying active during pregnancy will really help keep the pain at bay. Engage in low-impact exercise like daily walks, light jogging, and yoga. One of the best activities to help with existing hip pain is swimming. Being in the water helps to take some of the weight off your joints, but moving through the water can help strengthen your core, lower back, and legs.
2. Stretch.
There are specific stretches that can really help to loosen the pelvis, lower back, and hip flexors during pregancy. Doing these stretches regularly will also help you prepare for birth:
- Rest on all fours (hands and knees). Slowly rotate your hips down, like you are moving a hula hoop. Be sure to do several rotations in each direction.
- Lie on your back. Draw your knees up. Move one leg in front of the other so the ankle rests on the knee. Pull that knee up toward your chest. You'll feel the stretch through the opposite leg. Stretch both sides. This move is safe for majority of pregnancy, but some women cannot lie on their back for long. In that case, try this stretch standing up in the pool.
- Do the yoga pigeon pose. This pose may seem complex, but it can be very safe and relaxing for pregnant women. You may have to stay upright during the stretch -- full pigeon stretch extends the body flat over the ground, but the pregnant belly can be an obstacle for completing the pose, depending on how far along you are.
3. Wear a support belt.
One thing that can really make a different is wearing a support belt, especially when walking. A support belt helps to brace your lower back and lift your belly and it will take some pressure off your hips. If your hips pain become very bad, you can use the brace to strap on a heating pack or microwave rice bag.
Remember that some types of pain may indicate the need for medical intervention. Be sure to bring up persistent pain with a doctor like Bhupathy Vellore R MD-Women's Medical Group, just to rule out the need for physical therapy treatment.
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