Bone pain as a symptom occurs in 15-25% of pregnant women. The main reason for this is a violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism. Sometimes, due to an acute lack of vitamin D and calcium, a pregnant woman begins to experience osteomalacia - softening of the bone skeleton. Against the background of a woman’s body not receiving the necessary substances, other pathologies can develop that cause pain in the bones:
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint);
- systemic lupus erythematosus;
- dermatomyositis.
And these diseases are much more serious than just a lack of vitamin D and calcium, because they harm not only the mother, but also the baby.
Moreover, pronounced forms of osteomalacia are a rare occurrence. Acute osteomalacia manifests itself in bone fractures without external mechanical influence and immobilization. This condition is an indication for termination of pregnancy.
What is the difficulty?
The body puts all its energy into bearing a child, which is why chronic diseases worsen. The symptoms of gonarthrosis or coxarthrosis appear especially acute in the first trimester, and then, as a rule, subside. Therefore, ideally, if you are just planning a pregnancy, it makes sense to undergo preventive treatment, for example, a course of intra-articular injections of a synovial fluid prosthesis. The drug will ensure normal functionality and painlessness of the damaged joint for one and a half to two years.
This will also help the joints of the lower extremities cope with the increased load after childbirth, because with the birth of the baby you have to be on your feet a lot of time. Therefore, in order to prevent complications, it is necessary to consult a rheumatologist as early as possible. Specialist:
- determine the severity of the disease and identify functional disorders in the joint;
- draw up a complete clinical picture based on laboratory tests and studies;
- will give comprehensive recommendations on how to behave during pregnancy in order to protect joints from rapid destruction.
It is advisable to treat arthrosis at the stage of pregnancy planning
Diagnostics
Consists of the following steps:
- A visual examination, during which the doctor’s task is to study the volume, configuration and symmetry of the joints.
- Palpation. The temperature of the joints that hurt is determined. Check for thrombosis.
- Trendelenburg test. The procedure evaluates the performance of the valves of the veins of the lower extremities. It is done like this: the pregnant woman is in a lying position, one of her legs is raised up and massaged by the doctor along the entire length. Next, the doctor waits for the blood to go down, emptying the superficial veins. A tourniquet is placed on the thigh to prevent blood flow. The woman is then asked to try to quickly get to her feet and the tourniquet is removed. The doctor watches how quickly the blood begins to flow through the veins in the opposite direction, and records how quickly they fill. Observes changes in the pattern of veins and sensations of the pregnant woman. If everything is in order, blood should fill the veins in no faster than half a minute.
- Also, if necessary, laboratory tests of the synovial fluid located in the joint cavity, tissue biopsy, ultrasound and MRI are carried out.
What are the features of treating arthrosis during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, the usual treatment regimen for arthrosis is unacceptable. The dose of drugs is significantly reduced or drug therapy is completely abandoned. Almost all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are contraindicated for pregnant women. In some cases, intra-articular corticosteroid injections are allowed.
Depending on the course of the disease, a woman may be recommended orthopedic devices - a corset, knee pads, elbow pads, and a Shants collar. A strict orthopedic regimen must be followed to prevent complications. In case of exacerbation and inflammatory processes in the joints, you should seek help as soon as possible, since inflammation can negatively affect the course of pregnancy.
A rheumatologist, therapist and obstetrician-gynecologist take part in the treatment of arthrosis in pregnant women.
Features of the structure of the knee joint
At the junction of 2 bones, a strong movable joint is formed, held together by ligaments - formations of connective tissue. Actions are performed due to muscle fibers and tendons lying outside.
When walking, the knee joint takes on the weight of almost the entire body, and therefore pain in it is a reason to consult a doctor.
Is it possible to undergo physiotherapeutic procedures?
Physiotherapy is most suitable for relieving joint pain during this period of life. The devices affect damaged joints and do not affect the development of the fetus. There is equipment that can be purchased for your home and used if necessary.
During pregnancy, women are sometimes referred to sanatorium-resort treatment. There they can take mud baths, be treated with clay and other methods to improve muscle tone and cartilage tissue.
What physiotherapeutic methods are safest for joints? The expert says:
Relief from joint pain during pregnancy
If your knee or fingers hurt during pregnancy, you should visit a doctor about this problem. Methods for relieving joint pain during pregnancy should be prescribed by a doctor.
As a rule, specialists try to treat pregnant women with non-drug methods if the pain does not cause the patient to suffer. If the pain is severe and a serious cause of its occurrence is identified, medical intervention cannot be avoided.
Various methods are used to treat physiological and pathological joint pain. Physiological pain is eliminated in the following ways:
- Weight control with a low-carbohydrate diet recommended by your doctor;
- in the early stages, you should rest more, and also do yoga and gymnastic exercises that reduce pain;
- for edema, it is advisable to reduce the amount of fluid you drink per day;
- avoiding sudden movements with excessive joint mobility under the influence of relaxin;
- taking calcium and vitamin D supplements if there is a deficiency of these substances;
- wearing a splint for carpal tunnel syndrome to protect the nerves from pinching.
All of the above measures can only be taken after consulting a doctor. Non-drug treatments can be as harmful when prescribed independently as medications.
If your fingers, as well as the joints of your limbs (for example, your knees) hurt, you need to determine exactly what disease is causing the pain. The following drugs may be prescribed to treat joint pathologies:
- anti-inflammatory;
- hormonal;
- antibacterial;
- painkillers.
The listed types of medications are prescribed only when absolutely necessary. The doctor will weigh the pros and cons before recommending such drugs to a pregnant woman.
What other methods are used
With a strict ban on medications, many resort to traditional medicine - they make compresses, lotions, and rubs based on medicinal plants. The effect of such measures is not quick, and there is always a danger of miscarriage or premature birth. Therefore, any plants should be used with caution, after consulting with your doctor.
Among the most popular plants for compresses, which most doctors do not object to, is cinquefoil. Sometimes it is replaced with burdock. Doctors are also loyal to honey. During pregnancy, you can use it to make compresses on the damaged joint, applications and lotions; the product is allowed to be consumed orally, along with other beekeeping products - pollen and propolis. Bee products improve immunity, remove toxins and saturate the body with vitamins and microelements.
Apitherapy is allowed if the woman is not allergic to honey
Diagnostic measures
To determine the cause of knee pain, the doctor collects anamnesis and studies the symptoms in order to draw an overall picture and make a diagnosis.
For this:
- The patient undergoes a visual examination. The arthrologist looks for signs of swelling or asymmetry, as well as muscle atrophy.
- Palpation helps to detect changes in skin temperature and identify the location of pain.
- To look “deeper”, you should undergo CT and ultrasound.
In extreme cases, a biopsy is prescribed.
What women diagnosed with arthrosis need to remember
If you decide to have a child, take care of your joints and general condition of the body in advance.
- Get rid of excess weight, since it will already increase as the fetus grows, which means the load on the joint will increase exponentially.
- Eat right, avoid chemical preservatives, flavor enhancers and flavorings that negatively affect the condition of joints, ligaments and joint fluid.
- Swim whenever possible while pregnant. Swimming will help strengthen your muscles and give strength to your ligaments.
- Take a walk in the fresh air so that the body is saturated with oxygen and metabolic processes occur in full.
- With your doctor, select suitable gymnastics aimed at increasing the range of motion of the joint and improving its flexibility. Exercises will help avoid stagnation and stop the progression of arthrosis.
What to do if your legs and arms twist at night during pregnancy due to a lack of vitamin B6?
Thanks to vitamin B6, magnesium is better absorbed in the body, and without vitamin magnesium is almost completely eliminated.
If there is not enough vitamin B6, the following ailments are observed:
- Hair loss
- Nausea and loss of appetite
- Depression
- Drowsiness
- Anemia
- Mouth ulcers
Attention. With a lack of vitamin B6, the arms and legs do not twist, but only with a lack of magnesium. Vitamin B6 is especially lacking if a person smokes or drinks a lot of alcohol.
Vitamin B6 is abundant in the following foods:
- Nuts (pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds)
- Sunflower and sesame seeds
- Bran bread
- Legumes
- Sea fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring) and caviar
- Cereals (buckwheat, barley, rice, millet, wheat)
- Meat (chicken, beef, turkey, pork)
- Egg yolk
- Chees Feta"
- Bananas
- Potato
Attention. When foods are heated, up to 50-70% of vitamin B6 is destroyed.
Here is the amount of iron in 100 g of product
What are the forecasts?
Arthrosis is not a reason to refuse to bear a child. The main thing is to take control of the situation from the very beginning. At the first suspicion of exacerbation, contact a specialist and do not take your usual painkillers in the usual dosage.
Critically evaluate your lifestyle and habits, reduce physical activity that is dangerous for the damaged joint. Don’t forget about the disease after childbirth, because then the load will increase significantly. As soon as your doctor allows it, undergo a planned course of intra-articular injections of a synovial life prosthesis - and enjoy motherhood!
What to do if your legs and arms twist at night during pregnancy due to lack of calcium?
If a pregnant woman does not have enough calcium in her body, in addition to cramps in the legs and arms, there may be the following health problems:
- Irritability and agitation
- Increased blood pressure
- Gums bleed and teeth decay
- Nails have become brittle
- Insomnia
Attention. To better absorb calcium, you need to take magnesium and vitamin D3.
If you eat the following products in sufficient quantities, then the problem of microelement deficiency can be solved (products are listed in descending order of calcium content):
- Sesame seeds
- Hard cheese with a fat content of 45-50% and feta cheese
- Dairy products, especially milk powder, condensed milk
- Sunflower seeds
- Milk chocolate
- Soybeans and other legumes
- Parsley and dill
- Sunflower halva
- Almonds and hazelnuts
- Dandelion leaves
Attention. Products with oxalic acid (sorrel, spinach), phosphates (canned fish, beans, green peas, cauliflower), and a high protein content prevent calcium absorption.
Calcium is better absorbed if you take enough iron.
Foods with the highest calcium content
What to do if you twist your legs and arms at night during pregnancy: tips
If the reason why your legs or arms cramped at night has not been established, you need to know what to do if this happens:
- We put something under the cramped leg so that it is higher than the body, and pull the foot or toes towards us.
- Massage and rub the calf muscles.
- If your leg is severely cramped, you can prick it with a pin.
- We put something warm under the leg that is cramping, for example, a warm heating pad, mustard plaster, and put warm socks on our feet.
- If your leg cramps, we get up and start walking slowly.
So, we now know the reasons why legs and arms may twist at night during pregnancy, and what needs to be done about it.