Hip Pain

Prenatal Hip Pain 

Hip pain is common during pregnancy. It can occur at any time during the pregnancy but most often gets worse or starts later in the pregnancy.  As your body prepares for birth by loosening the joints of the hips and pelvis, your muscles easily become overworked and the hips can become painful.

What causes hip pain during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, your body produces the hormone relaxin causes tendons and ligaments to relax and and stretch.  This causes increased flexibility in these joints which is imperative for allowing the baby to move through your pelvis during labor.

The increased weight of pregnancy can put too much pressure on the less stable joints and result in pain, inflammation, joint misalignment and reflexive muscle spasms. Changes in your gait pattern, “the waddle”, can add extra stress to the back, hips, knees and feet.

Home Care Options

• Icing
• Stretches: sitting and lying down, partner assisted
• Orthotics, proper footwear
• Sleep position with extra pillow, sitting position, driving car
• Sacroiliac belt
• Rehabilitative exercises

Office Care Options

• Active Release Techniques
• Graston
• PNF
• Massage
• Hip, mid and low back and sacroiliac chiropractic joint manipulation
• Rehabilitative strengthening exercises
• Custom-molded Biomechanical Orthotics