It is no secret that pregnancy causes a wide range of physical issues. When someone gets pregnant with a baby in her womb, they start facing various issues regarding their body as they go through various hormonal changes.
Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain is among the possible side effects. This pain can cause quite some trouble for a pregnant woman.
Pain in the sacroiliac (SI) joint is tricky to pin down, although it usually responds well to treatment.
In this article, we will talk about some measures that can help alleviate some of your discomforts regarding SI joint pain, allowing you to get back to work on baby preparations.
Hopefully, after reading this article, you won’t feel the need to constantly request that your lover rub your back and hip again and again.
Let’s learn more about the causes and remedies for SI joint pain during and after pregnancy.
What is the Sacroiliac (SI) Joint?
The sacroiliac joint is an essential joint for your body. It gets its name from the place where the sacrum (tailbone) meets the ilia (hip bones).
The sacroiliac (SI) joint is very strong because it is held together by strong ligaments. Like a jigsaw puzzle, it’s also quite sharp. These characteristics make it exceptionally challenging to dislodge the SI joint.
Without pregnancy, this area often does not cause problems unless a significant fall or accident occurs. But that’s not the case when you’re carrying a child.
Why does the SI joint cause pain during pregnancy?
Some women are more likely to develop SI joint pain than men because of certain factors. It usually begins in the first trimester of pregnancy and worsens as the belly grows.
Pregnancy hormones have a significant role in this. During pregnancy, the body produces a hormone called relaxin, among other hormones.
As the name suggests, it helps with labor by relaxing the ligaments and connective tissue in the pelvis. This makes it easier for the baby to move during birth.
As a result, your pelvis is less stable, which puts stress on the sacroiliac (SI) joint and can lead to various painful symptoms.
The amount of weight you put on while pregnant is also a factor. As a woman gets pregnant and gains weight, her feet turn outward to give her a broader base to stand on.
Your hip muscles shorten and lose strength due to the pregnant waddle (yep, that’s the official medical term for it). More stress is applied to the body’s connective tissues and joints when muscles are less efficient.
It is also common to have pain in the SI joints after giving birth. Several things, including physical damage during labor and delivery, can cause this pain. And it usually doesn’t fix itself after the baby is born.
Symptoms of SI Joint Pain
Pain in the SI joints can manifest in various ways, from a dull ache to shooting pains down the back of the thigh.
The pain at the SI joint can range from excruciating to persistent throbbing. Women with this condition often find it hard to stand, walk, or sit for long periods of time.
They can never seem to settle into one position for very long. Occasionally, people will complain about a “catching” or “clicking” sensation in their hips when walking.
Here are some symptoms-
- Constant pain in the area around the hips and/or tailbone
- Pain in the lower back or hip
- Discomfort that can be felt from the hips all the way down to the feet
- Weakness, numbness, or tingling in the legs
- Fever
If the last two occur, then it’s necessary to see a doctor immediately.
How You Can Deal with SI Joint Pain
Here are some measures that you can go for in order to deal with SI joint pain during pregnancy-
Getting Help
The first step is to make sure the low back can move by putting the sacroiliac (SI) joint back in place if it is out of place. You’re going to want some assistance with this.
A simple solution to your SI joint pain is out of your reach.
You should look for a qualified physical therapist in your neighborhood (try searching here and here). Find one near you and inquire about their experience with SI joints before making an appointment.
Be selective; not all PTs offer services in this area.
Through our Expecting and Empowered online wellness program, you can set up a meeting with one of our in-house physical therapists who specializes in women’s health.
It will provide temporary relief and make you feel better. On the other hand, don’t stop here.
Fixing Instability
Instability is the actual cause of SI joint pain. Because of this, regular strength training is essential. Core muscles (abdominals, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and back muscles) weaken during pregnancy.
If you’re experiencing pain, it’s time to get to work on waking up those muscles again.
Asymmetries between the left and right sides of the body are fairly common.
During pregnancy, women often have a weakness on one side of their latissimus dorsi (lats) and the butt cheek on the other side.
Harmony with your regular activity
Here are some ways you can achieve harmony or symmetry with your regular movements-
- Don’t cross your legs. Crossing one’s legs put more pressure on the joints, just like any other movement or position of the lower extremities that isn’t symmetrical.
- Remove your shoes and find a seat.
- You shouldn’t use your legs to propel anything forward (moving a box across the floor with your foot)
- Do not cross your legs under your body while seated
Trying to Get Good Sleep
If you suffer from SI joint pain, you may find that sleeping is less comfortable and peaceful than usual. Those who prefer to sleep on their sides should put a pillow between their legs all the way up to their thighs, beginning at the pubic bone and working their way down to the knees.
Bend both knees equally (do not sleep with one leg straight and the other bent).
Pregnant women should prop up their bellies using pillows. Log rolling is an excellent method for getting in and out of bed.
Focusing on Stability
This should be your main priority, even if you have to get some help with a SI belt, also called a Serola belt, which can be used to keep the area stable until it is reinforced.
If you suffer from pain in your SI joints, try wearing a SI belt.
If you feel more pain while wearing the brace, it is because your hip bones and sacrum are not in the ideal position due to a misaligned SI/pubic bone.
You might also need to wear the belt the right way, which could make the problem we’re trying to solve worse.s displaced downward when the “wings” of the hips are squeezed together at a high angle.
The belt should rest directly above the greater trochanter, the big, pointy area on the side of the hip where the belt buckle would normally go.
Hold your palm over your hip and rotate your leg as if you were squashing an insect; this will point you in the right direction. If you’re doing it right, you’ll feel a bone in your body whirl.
The belt’s bottom should rest squarely over it. Pull the main half of the belt tight, then reach back for the two additional side straps and position them like a butterfly.
Treatment is done by making adjustments to the spine. Chiropractic care can help relieve SI joint pain caused by pregnancy. A chiropractor can perform spinal manipulations to alleviate pain and other symptoms.
It lessens stiffness and increases mobility in the joints.
Spinal mobilization, which chiropractors offer, is also effective in treating SI joint pain.
Exercise
One of the best ways to deal with the discomfort of SI joint pain during pregnancy is to engage in specific workouts for it. Some examples are pelvic floor exercises, which help make the muscles in the pelvic floor stronger and more stable.
Bridges are also effective because they strengthen the glutes and help maintain a stable pelvis.
Prenatal Massages
Pain in the sacroiliac joint is typically felt in the pelvic region and lower back, but it can also radiate down the legs.
In many ways, prenatal massages can help you relieve sciatic pain, which in many ways is similar to sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
In addition, getting a prenatal massage is the best way to get overall relief from SI and other ailments if you’re having a difficult pregnancy.
Taking Light Therapy
Light therapy is one of the most popular and beneficial therapies out there, as it comes with a lot of physical and mental health benefits. It helps deal with various issues such as skin problems, weight loss, sleeping problems, hair loss problems, different types of pains, healing injuries, etc.
Especially red light therapy helps to get relief from various types of physical pain, and it can help deal with SI joint pain during pregnancy as well in the same manner.
You will just need to expose the painful area to a red light therapy device, and the emitted light will penetrate the skin, muscles, and even bones to work on a cellular level and generate the necessary hormones and chemical reactions to deal with the pain.
Taking the therapy for a certain period of time might help you significantly in dealing with this pain.
Final Words
You can go through the aforementioned ways to deal with your SI joint pain, but always make sure that you are going through ample movement in your day-to-day life during pregnancy.
Continuous movement is the secret to eternal youth. Ligaments and joints thrive on action. Regular movements pump synovial fluid through the area, providing lubrication similar to WD40 for the joints.
In this case, walking is highly recommended. But watch your step count because too much walking can make it worse. You also shouldn’t do deep, asymmetrical movements like lunging or cleaning while kneeling on one knee.
Make sure to follow these rules and go through the mentioned measures; you can get some comfort and relief from the pain.
Image by Denys Mikhalevych from Pexels
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