Why joints in the arms and legs hurt during pregnancy: treatment and prevention

Pregnancy is a special condition of the female body, which is accompanied by various physiological changes.

First of all, the cardiovascular system undergoes changes, since another circulatory system appears in the body of a pregnant woman.

The mass of the heart muscle begins to gradually increase, which leads to an increase in the volume of circulating blood. Lungs start to work more intensively, because the body needs a lot of oxygen.

With an increase in gestation, dyspnea may appear. Due to the fact that the body begins to prepare for feeding, the structure of the mammary glands changes. Therefore, they increase in size and are a little rude.

During pregnancy, a large load goes to the joints, which eventually start to hurt.

Joints in the pregnant woman at the risk

Joint jointswhen pregnancy occurs for the following reasons:

1. Calcium deficiency in the body .During pregnancy, the body requires calcium three times more than usual. In the second trimester, the child is intensively growing and requires a large number of nutrients, including calcium. During this period, the first pain thresholds are manifested.
2. Load on the musculoskeletal system due to abdominal growth .
3. Intensive release of the hormone relaxin .This hormone, which is produced in the ovaries, contributes to the weakening of the ligament apparatus.
4. Changing the biomechanics of the skeleton of a pregnant woman.
5. Manifestation of consequences of previously received injuries .

As a result of all of the above reasons, a disease such as arthritis can occur.

This disease is characterized by the development of inflammatory processes, which can lead to a violation of the metabolism inside the joint.

Arthritis can affect either one joint( monoarthritis), or several joints simultaneously( polyarthritis).

Also, pain in the joints can cause developing arthrosis. This is a dystrophic disease that leads to intraarticular destruction of the cartilage.

The cause of arthrosis is the wrong metabolism. The manifestation of this disease, will increase with an increase in the load on the joints.

The first bell and the subsequent trill of

The first sign is the increased pain in the joints at night. This indicates the onset of the inflammatory process.

Also about the inflamed joints says the morning stiffness of the whole body. Another sign that should alert is the swollen metacarpophalangeal joints.

Very often, joint pains subside after some physical activity. This sign indicates the onset of arthritis. If the process of inflammation is accompanied by the formation of solid nodules on the elbows, then perhaps this is a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis.

Pelvic pain is associated with increased stress on its joints. After all, the belly of a pregnant woman is constantly growing, and this directly affects the work of the musculoskeletal system.

Therefore, with increasing gestational age, it is advisable to avoid prolonged condition on the legs.

The first step is the diagnosis of

. If the joint problems are suspected, the following diagnostic procedures are prescribed:

1. Visual inspection of the .In this way, the configuration, symmetry and volume of the joints are determined. Changing the configuration of suggests the presence of exudate in the joint. Swelling of the joint( increase in volume) occurs as a result of effusion into its cavity, or edema of periarticular tissues. Also visually it is possible to define muscular atrophy and platypodia.
2. Palpation method .Determines the rise and fall of the temperature of the patient joint. The temperature change indicates the presence of vascular thrombosis. In the process of diagnosis, two types of palpation are used: superficial and deep. With superficial palpation, the back of the hand is applied to the affected area of ​​the joint, or the tips of the fingers. Thus, the presence of swelling of the joint and its temperature is determined. A deep diagnostic method allows you to identify the effusion in the joint cavity and local soreness.
3. Rotational test .It consists in carrying out the outer circumference of the shoulder and helps to determine the re-arthritis of the humeroscapular joint.
4. Trendelenburg Test .Another such method is called the "rolling of log" method. With its help, it is possible to determine the pathology of the hip joint.

In addition to the above methods, it is possible to diagnose inflamed joints by means of computed tomography and ultrasound methods.

If necessary, a laboratory study of synovial fluid and a biopsy of the joint tissues.

Assisting

The treatment of joint diseases today is carried out both by medical methods, and with the help of special physical exercises.

Drug treatment is the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, including joint injections.

Among the drugs most commonly used are: Aspirin, Tramadol, Ibuprofen, steroids and anti-inflammatory gels.

You can restore the mobility of a sick joint with the help of physical exercises. Types of exercise should show a certain specialist. Basically, this is a special gymnastics and joint massage.

Peculiarities of therapy in pregnancy

When pregnancy, joints are not recommended with medicamentous methods.

The most effective treatment in this case is rest and a good sleep. Also in the diet should include a lot of cottage cheese and other fermented milk products.

In addition, in order to ease the load on the joints, during the last period of pregnancy, you can wear a bandage. Still doctors recommend to accept warm baths and to rub the inflamed joints with olive oil.

But if there is an urgent need for the use of medications, you should still perform light medication.

Most often, doctors prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs based on paracetamol. To avoid harm to the fetus, for the treatment of joints, drugs for external use are used.

As for antibacterial agents, they are used in special cases, taking into account all the safety criteria. Physiotherapeutic methods in the form of electrophoresis with potassium chloride are also prescribed.

How to get rid of hip pain:

Prevention of joint diseases

To prevent inflammation of the joints, first of all, you need to consume a sufficient amount of fluid.

Otherwise, it will lead to poor functioning of the joints. Also, doctors advise you to eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D.

In order not to give an extra burden to the joints, you need to control your weight. As a preventative, you can use various vitamin preparations, after consulting with a doctor.

In order for a pregnant woman not to have joint pains while sitting, it is necessary to change the position of the legs every 20 minutes. In this case, the back should always lie on the back of the chair.

Due attention should be given to the choice of footwear, which should be soft and without heels. You can also engage in special gymnastics for pregnant women, which will serve as prevention of pain in the joints.

Joints like attention

In pregnancy, the joints are particularly stressed, so the diagnosis and prevention of joint diseases should be carried out on time, otherwise complications of various kinds may occur.

This may be a deformation in time of the untreated joint, which is accompanied by a decrease in its activity.

Prolonged pain in the knee joints, can lead not only to deformation, but also to the accumulation of fluid. Sometimes such capsules with accumulated fluid can burst, which will lead to swelling of the leg.

In particularly neglected cases, the kidneys can be damaged, resulting in amyloidosis.

To date, unfortunately, many do not attach importance to joint pain. But if you are going to become a mother, this should be taken seriously.

Even if you have at least one symptom, you need to see a doctor. Better once again to be vigilant than to acquire a chronic illness, so, you should never postpone a visit to a doctor for tomorrow.