May 12, 2018 - How common is back pain during pregnancy? You are not alone if you experience back pain during your pregnancy. The prevalence varies.
Pain or stiffness in the hips is common. Sports injuries, pregnancy, and aging can all put a strain on your hip joints, making it more difficult for the joint to glide in and out in a full range of motion.
In some cases, this results in a feeling that your hips are misaligned and need to be cracked or “popped” into place.
Sometimes your hip will even make a cracking sound on its own. Although this could indicate a serious joint problem, it’s often just the tendons gliding across the joint. Many people experience this “cracking” without any other symptoms.
While recurring hip pain should always be addressed and diagnosed by a doctor, there are some instances when it’s safe to try to pop your hips back into proper alignment. Keep reading to find out if, and how, you might try to do this.
The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint that connects your pelvis to the top of your thigh bone.
A thick cushion of cartilage between the bones enables your bones to glide against each other without causing you pain.
Tendons connect the muscles and bones in your hips, binding them together but leaving room for them to stretch apart when needed.
If the tendons become inflamed, if the cartilage starts to break down, or if your muscles or bones become injured, your hip mobility becomes limited. Only try these exercises if your hip feels “off” but isn’t causing you pain.
Butterfly stretches
- Sit up straight with your buttocks firmly touching the floor.
- Bend your knees and place the bottoms of your feet together so that your heels touch.
- Take a deep breath in to center your stretch.
- Gently press your knees down on both sides toward the floor and breathe out. You may hear your hip pop.
Side lunge
- Stand up straight and move your feet into a wide stance.
- Lean to the right as far as you can, bending the right knee while keeping your left leg straight. You should feel a stretch in your left groin, and you may hear a pop.
Pigeon pose
- Start on your belly, facing the floor.
- Raise up on your forearms and bring your legs straight up behind you. Create an inverted V-shape with your body, making your arms straight and shoulder width apart and your feet flat on the floor.
- Flex your right foot. Raise your right leg up off the floor and bring it forward toward your hands. Rest your right ankle against your left wrist and lower yourself to the floor. Your thigh should be flat against the mat or the ground.
- Slide your left leg straight back. Your left thigh should be rotating inward toward the rest of your body. Put your hands at your sides with your fingers touching the floor, behind your right foot.
- Move your body forward over your right leg, getting as close to the floor as you can. You may hear a pop or crack. If you feel any pain, stop right away.
- Slowly rise from the Pigeon pose after 30 seconds, and repeat it on the other side.
If you have any suspicion that you’ve been injured, don’t attempt to crack your hip. Repeatedly cracking your hip can worsen or cause injury over time.
While a hip that feels “out of place” can be irritating, don’t swing your hips around or move erratically to try to get it to “pop.” Any attempt to crack your hip should be done slowly, safely, with mindfulness and careful movements.
If you feel your hip going out of place several times a week, or if any pain accompanies the popping noise when you crack your hip, you need to see your doctor. Anti-inflammation medication, physical therapy, or chiropractic care may be necessary to treat your hip discomfort.
Crepitus is the medical term for joints that crack and pop. Crepitus can be caused by gases trapped between joints. It can also be caused by tendon tears, bones that break and don’t heal correctly, and inflammation surrounding your joint.
Other common causes of hip discomfort:
- snapping hip syndrome, a condition caused by inflamed muscle tendons clicking as they rub over your hip socket
- sciatica or other forms of pinched nerves
- hip dislocation due to injury
- labral tear
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If cracking your hip causes you any pain at all, you should see your doctor.
If you have an inflammatory condition, corticosteroid injections may be able to reduce your pain and inflammation. Your hip pain could be an early sign of arthritis or indicate that you’re having issues with your lower back.
Ignoring your hip pain could prolong pain or injury. But hip injuries and health conditions that are treated promptly and correctly have a good prognosis.
Cracking your hip occasionally to release tension isn’t a health risk. Likewise, a hip that cracks by itself during a workout or when you’re getting out of bed isn’t unusual.
When you feel like your hip joint is “off” or out of place, there are safe ways to get it to crack. But repeatedly cracking or popping your hip to treat a dislocated or injured joint isn’t effective. Speak to your doctor about any pain or concerns you have about cracking joints.
If you’re pregnant, you probably expected to experience some back pain and abdominal discomfort. But what you didn’t count on was butt pain.
As your pregnancy progresses, there are common conditions like sciatica that can cause you a great deal of discomfort. You might feel pain in the buttocks area as a result.
Luckily, as you continue to wait for your little one to enter the world, there are several steps you can take to reduce butt pain.
Here’s how to make the next few months more comfortable before your baby makes their arrival.
Butt pain during pregnancy can be pain caused by an abnormality on the buttocks itself (like hemorrhoids). It can also be referred pain that radiates from the lower back to the buttocks.
Some common causes of butt pain during pregnancy include the following.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are enlarged, swollen veins in the anus or rectum. Pregnant women are more likely to experience hemorrhoids because the uterus creates extra pressure on the anus and rectum.
If you have to stand for long periods of time because of your job or hobbies, the pain may get worse.
Labor pains/Contractions
Women experience contractions differently. Some have abdominal cramping and back cramping that can extend to the buttocks. The nature of the pain can vary, too. Some people feel a cramping sensation while others may feel pressure, throbbing, or shooting pain.
Braxton-Hicks contractions may cause discomfort, but they aren’t usually painful. If the contractions are causing your buttocks pain, call your doctor.
Pelvic girdle pain
Pelvic girdle pain affects 1 in 5 pregnant woman. This pain occurs when the extra weight of the baby and pregnancy-related movements in the pelvis start to add up and cause pelvic pain.
Many women also experience this pain in their buttocks. Other symptoms can include feeling a grinding or clicking in the pelvic area, and pain that gets worse with movement.
Although pelvic girdle pain is very uncomfortable, it isn’t harmful to your baby. It won’t keep you from having a vaginal birth.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition that happens when there’s pressure on the sciatic nerve that runs from the buttocks down the leg. Pregnancy can cause the nerve to become irritated or inflamed. Your expanding uterus can place extra pressure on the sciatic nerve.
As you reach your third trimester, your baby’s change in positioning can rest on the nerve directly in your buttocks area. This can cause butt pain.
You also might feel a burning sensation in your back, buttocks, and leg. Some women also report shooting pain that extends down the leg.
Whatever the cause, butt pain can make it difficult to complete your daily activities comfortably. (As if it wasn’t hard enough already with your pregnancy!)
If you experience the following symptoms, it’s time to call your doctor:
- the pain is so severe that it is making you feel ill
- you are experiencing a significant amount of blood loss (bigger than typical hemorrhoids, which may cause only a smear of blood)
- you have experienced a rush of fluid from your vagina or your “water breaking”
- you lose control of your bladder/bowels
- the pain never subsides
An estimated 14 percent of pregnant women take an opioid pain medication while they’re pregnant. Examples of these prescription medications include oxycodone and hydrocodone.
Typically, women take them for a week or less. Back pain’s the most common reason doctors prescribe these medications.
If your buttocks pain does not respond to over-the-counter and at-home treatments, your doctor may consider prescribing a pain medicine.
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But the fewer medications you can take during pregnancy, the better. This will reduce the likelihood the medications could affect your baby’s growth and/or development.
If your pain is the result of hemorrhoids, you can try the following at-home treatments to reduce discomfort:
- Soak in a warm water bath or a sitz bath. A sitz bath is a plastic bath that can fit over your toilet. You can fill it with warm water, sit, and soak without having to draw a bath. Shop for sitz baths.
- Try witch hazel. Place a few drops of witch hazel on a sanitary pad that you can wear to reduce inflammation. You can change the witch hazel pads throughout the day to reduce inflammation. Also try freezing them for more relief. Shop for witch hazel.
- Don’t sit or stand too long. Refrain from sitting or standing for extended time periods. This puts extra pressure on your anus. Lying on your side can reduce pressure.
- Drink up. Drink plenty of fluids each day. This can help reduce your risk for constipation, which makes your stool harder to pass.
- Eat fiber. Eat a diet that has plenty of fiber with whole-grain foods, fruits, and vegetables.
You can also ask your doctor if there are creams and/or stool softeners you could take to reduce hemorrhoid-related pain and strain.
For pain related to sciatica and/or pelvic pain, you can take the following steps:
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen to reduce discomfort.
- Take a warm bath and/or shower to soothe tight muscles.
- Wear a supportive pelvic belt (also called a girdle) to reduce the pressure on your lower back and pelvis. Shop for pelvic belts.
- Avoid performing activities that aggravate your pain, like lifting heavy objects, standing on only one leg at a time, and keeping your legs together when you turn in bed and/or get out of the car.
- Place a pillow under your belly and one between your legs when you sleep. This can help promote proper body positioning.
You can also ask your doctor if you can apply cold and/or heat packs to painful areas.
Pregnancy-related butt pain will typically resolve after you deliver. But some women may continue to experience hemorrhoids post-delivery. You can ask your doctor if there are other treatments you can use to reduce the frequency of butt pain.