Pain in the back, lower back, sacrum and coccyx during pregnancy

Pain in the back, lower back, sacrum and coccyx in pregnant women: what can hurt

The ligamentous apparatus of the uterus is firmly attached to the bones of the pelvis and spinal column. As the size of the uterus increases, the load on the ligaments of the uterus and pelvic bones, on the spine, abdominal and lower back muscles increases - this is normal. If the load from the pregnant uterus is distributed evenly, there will be no significant pain.
If you have even a slight curvature of the spine, weakness of any muscle, or a difference in leg length, some ligaments of the uterus will experience increased stress. Hence the pain in the uterus, sacrum, and pain between the legs in pregnant women. Painful impulses will come from the places where the ligaments are attached to the bones, from the vertebrae and joints overloaded with the weight of the uterus.

Pain during pregnancy can appear in the lower back, sacrum, tailbone, perineum (between the legs), hip joints, abdomen and pelvic area. The cause of the pain is usually easy to determine with a full examination. This type of pain can be treated well without medication – with the help of soft osteopathy . First of all, safety. We use internationally recognized special techniques for working with pregnant women (including in the treatment of back pain in pregnant women).

Why does the tailbone hurt in early pregnancy? The problem and its treatment

The nature of pain in the lower back may vary. Occurs:

Spicy;
Cutting;
Pulling;
Blunt;
Burning.

In addition, sensations are divided according to location:

Above or below the tailbone;
Right in the tailbone area;
Zones on the left or right;
Legs.

A woman should try to understand and tell the doctor: does her body ache, do her arms and legs go numb, is there any difficulty urinating and defecating, how often does it hurt and at what intervals - all these are very important symptoms that should not be ignored.

Why does the lower spine hurt?

In the early stages of pregnancy, when the body adapts to the fetus, hormonal levels also change. The production of certain hormones leads to weakening of the sacral ligaments, the pelvis diverges and the tailbone deviates, which leads to discomfort.

In mid-pregnancy, it is necessary to monitor your diet, as constipation can also affect the soreness of the tailbone. After 32 weeks, as a result of weight gain, the nerves in this area often become pinched.

These symptoms are common, but there are a number of diseases that cause sacral pain, in which pregnancy is a catalyst.

Main causes of pain

In addition to pregnancy-related reasons, there are the following:

Injury. The woman injured the sacral area even before conception as a result of a fall. In the beginning and middle of pregnancy, the pain may return and bother you as the ligaments stretch.
Lack of useful elements and vitamins. Since a woman during this period experiences a double load on all organs, the nutrients she absorbs feed, first of all, the fetus. If not enough microelements are supplied, the female body suffers from their deficiency. The tailbone may ache if a woman does not receive enough Ca. Then, against the background of pain, cramps of the lower extremities occur.

If there is little Mg in a pregnant woman’s body, pain also appears in the lower back. She is accompanied by increased irritability and morning sickness.

Intestinal problems. Pain may occur in a pregnant woman due to hemorrhoids or the appearance of cracks in the anus, inflammatory processes, etc.
Neurological problems, such as inflammation of the spinal nerve. In this case, discomfort is felt in the lumbar region and legs. The nature of the pain is burning. Appears during physical activity.
Diseases of the pelvic organs, which include cystitis, inflammatory processes in the female reproductive organs. In such cases, seeking medical help is mandatory, since problem areas are located in close proximity to the child.
Congenital or acquired problems with the spine, in which the spinal nerves are pinched due to compression. These are diseases such as spinal
hernia , osteochondrosis, etc.
Adhesions or scars resulting from surgical manipulations on the rectum.
Salt deposits in this area, which worries most overweight women.
Difficult previous childbirth, as a result of which the pelvic organs prolapsed.
Chronic constipation.
Instability of the mental state, as a result of which stress appears.
Sitting on upholstered furniture for long periods of time. This impairs blood circulation, which leads to stagnation and swelling in the sacral area. After some time, swollen tissue can compress the nerve endings, which causes pain.
Risk of miscarriage. A dangerous condition, in addition to sacral pain, is accompanied by a number of symptoms. If a woman feels pain in the lower abdomen or bleeding, she should immediately call a doctor.

How to relieve pain

Once the causes of discomfort are identified, if they are caused by pregnancy, they can be alleviated by following some rules. First of all, you need to take up exercise therapy or swimming. Special yoga exercises for pregnant women are suitable, aimed at strengthening muscles and improving condition. Gymnastic complexes should be prescribed by a professional or doctor who knows the peculiarities of the load of women in this position. The main rule of such gymnastics is to practice constantly, daily, periodically changing complexes and reducing activity depending on the period.

Prevention

In addition to physical exercise, warm baths with the addition of essential oils will help, which will relax and dull the pain.

A massage will also help. During the procedures, blood circulation and metabolism will improve and pain will decrease. However, there should be no contraindications for massage procedures, so only the attending physician can prescribe reflexology.

Dry heat is used to relieve symptoms. To do this, heat salt or sand, which is poured into a fabric bag and applied like a heating pad to the problem area. However, the procedure is contraindicated for inflammatory diseases.

In addition, you need to monitor your diet if constipation is a problem. Food should be enriched with fiber. It is advisable to introduce fruits and vegetables into the diet, especially plums, beets, carrots, and apples. Kefir has a laxative effect, so it is also necessary for pregnant women. If the diet does not help, the pregnant woman will have to seek help from a doctor who will prescribe laxatives or drugs that normalize the intestinal microflora.

If the pain is severe, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe medications. Allowed to alleviate the condition:

Ibufen
Paracetamol
Gels Ibuprofen, Diclofenac
Diclofenac suppositories

Folk remedies that will help include lotions with valerian, rubbing in fir oil or iodine, warm baths with geranium, etc.
Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr

Find the cause of pain without X-rays and MRI

As you know, during pregnancy, radiation diagnostic methods are undesirable. You can almost always do without pictures if the doctor knows how to compare the existing symptoms and has time for this. We study the tone of certain muscles, reflexes and sensitivity in the various peripheral nerve systems and this gives us enough information. Such an examination may take 30-40 minutes, but it is informative and 100% safe.

As a last resort, you can resort to examining peripheral nerves and the spinal cord using electromyography (during pregnancy, some electromyography methods are allowed).

Diagnosis and symptoms of pain in the sacrum during pregnancy

If unfavorable signs appear in the sacral area, a woman should first contact her gynecologist. It is he who conducts the initial examination and, after asking about the sensations, prescribes the necessary tests (smear, general urine and blood tests).

Pregnant women need to remember that in their situation the use of the following methods is prohibited due to negative effects on the fetus :

X-ray examination;
MRI;
CT scan.

As an additional diagnosis, if there is a suspicion of the development of a dangerous pathology, the doctor may prescribe :

blood chemistry;
coprogram;
ultrasound examination.

Eliminate pain in the back, lower back, coccyx, sacrum in pregnant women without drugs

The goal of treatment is to create a more optimal distribution of the load from the uterus to the ligaments, bones and muscles. What can be safely used during pregnancy:

Gentle correction of the spine and muscle tone with the help of a doctor’s hands. Usually the effect (a significant reduction or complete cessation of back pain in a pregnant woman) is noticeable already at the first session with an osteopathic neurologist. We perform sessions infrequently, usually once every 2-4 weeks (as the size of the uterus increases), 4-6 sessions per course of treatment are sufficient.
Gymnastics. This is a treatment that you can easily perform at home. It is better if the exercises are selected personally by the doctor. We try to build gymnastics so that it is safe, effective and takes as little time as possible. When done correctly, pain between the legs in pregnant women goes away within a week or two.

Osteopathic preparation for childbirth. During childbirth, the birth canal must be elastic enough so that the baby can safely pass through it without injury or rupture. Your osteopath will do everything possible to restore the physiological elasticity of the pelvic tissues.

Treatment of pain after childbirth - more details

Treatment of complications after epidural anesthesia - more details

Severe pain in the pelvic bones during pregnancy

Despite the fact that the expansion of the pelvic bones during pregnancy is natural, in some cases this process can take a pathological form, expressed in excessive (more than 20 mm) expansion of the birth canal and pronounced mobility of the pubic bones. This is usually accompanied by a feeling of discomfort or severe pain, especially aggravated by movement (walking, running) or changing body position. This pathological process is called symphysiopathy or symphysitis. Depending on the degree of bone divergence, there are 3 stages of this condition:

I degree – discrepancy by 5–9 mm;
II degree – by 10–20 mm;
III degree – more than 20 mm.

In addition to the immediate symptoms of symphysiopathy, a woman may experience concomitant disorders associated primarily with a lack of calcium in the body:

destruction of tooth enamel, brittle nails, increased fatigue;
paresthesia, numbness or tingling in the skin, weakening of the limbs;
involuntary contractions (tics) of individual muscles;
convulsive movements in the calf muscles at night.

Symphysiopathy can manifest as mild or severe, sometimes unbearable pain. In most cases, this limits the mobility of a pregnant woman, preventing her from performing usual everyday activities, walking, and playing sports. In addition, increased mobility of the pelvic bones and weakening of the cartilaginous ligament can lead to traumatic injury to the mother during childbirth - rupture of the symphysis. Such damage to the pelvic bones not only causes severe pain, but can lead to dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system or reproductive system.

Treatment of pain in the sacrum during pregnancy

For therapeutic purposes, pregnant women who complain of pain in the sacrum are usually prescribed:

wearing a prenatal bandage;
light massage of the lower back to relieve muscle spasms;
short warm bath or shower, swimming lessons.

Pay attention to doctors' recommendations for eliminating pain in the sacrum during pregnancy. Also, the doctor usually gives the following recommendations:

lie on your back, avoid unnecessary stress;
when sitting on a chair, lean on the back;
if you need to pick something up from the floor, you should squat down, but do not bend over;
wear comfortable low-heeled shoes;
sleep on an orthopedic mattress that allows you to accurately follow the curves of the back and spine;
include calcium-fortified foods in your diet;
take multivitamin complexes.

Prevention

To prevent lower back discomfort caused by physiological factors, the following tips will help:

walking in the fresh air;
adequate sleep and rest;
inclusion of calcium-fortified foods in the diet;
wearing a prenatal bandage;
taking multivitamin complexes.

Lumbar pain during pregnancy is a common cause for concern. They can occur for various reasons, ranging from physiological changes in the body to diseases of the internal organs. But, in any case, the pain cannot be ignored; in case of severe discomfort, a doctor’s consultation is necessary.

Author: Olga Rogozhkina, obstetrician-gynecologist, especially for Mama66.ru

What not to do for pain in the sacrum during pregnancy

It is important to remember that for pregnant women with any pain, including in the sacral area, any analgesics are prohibited as treatments; pain-relieving ointments can only be used as prescribed by a doctor in order to avoid harm to the health of the unborn child.

Also, under no circumstances should you lift or carry heavy objects, perform heavy work, sit or sleep on surfaces that are too soft , or spend long periods of time standing or sitting. If you follow these recommendations, you can prevent the development of complications that arise when pain in the sacrum appears.