Pregnancy is a beautiful time in a woman’s life. However, even though the process can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling, many women experience various ailments after giving birth.

One such issue is post-pregnancy hip pain. Many women experience this issue, and few are able to find relief. In this post, we’ll discuss the topic of postpartum pain in the hips and demonstrate how chiropractic care can help with this condition.

Body Changes During Pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant, her body goes through a variety of changes, many of which can cause serious orthopedic pain. 

For instance, the most obvious change a woman experiences during this time is weight gain. Many pregnant women gain a significant amount of weight. As a result, they are putting lots of stress on their joints with every step they take.

Additionally, the joints of the body often become more lax during pregnancy due to the different hormones circulating throughout the woman’s system.

Because of this joint laxity, women can often experience strains and sprains, along with generalized joint and body pain. One area where many women feel pain after pregnancy is in the hips. This is because this body region undergoes some of the most drastic changes during pregnancy in order to accommodate the baby as he or she grows. 

Then, the pelvis has to stretch even more during birth as the woman pushes during the last few minutes of labor. As you can imagine, this often leads to hip pain!

Treatments for Pain During Pregnancy

While a woman is pregnant, there are few viable treatment options. This is because we can never design ethical studies of the harm certain things cause during pregnancy. Rather, we have to rely on reports and correlation to determine what is safe and what isn’t while a woman is going through her pregnancy.

However, there are some treatments that are thought to be relatively safe during pregnancy. One such treatment option is a heating pad, light massage, and chiropractic modalities.

Hip Pain Treatment After Pregnancy

Once the baby is born, the woman has many more treatment options than she did during the pregnancy. Postpartum hip pain, for instance, can be effectively treated with a good exercise plan combined with chiropractic care.

Exercises for this condition should include stretching and strengthening exercises for the lower body and trunk. By keeping these structures strong and flexible, you can address many of the issues that lead to hip pain after pregnancy.

Furthermore, the new mother should be sure to complete plenty of regular cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, biking, or swimming. Whichever mode of exercise she chooses, she should be sure to complete at least 150 minutes of said exercise per week. This can be broken up into five 30-minute sessions or any other combination that works for her schedule.

Chiropractic Care for Postpartum Hip Pain

In addition to exercise, chiropractic care provides an incredible means of treating hip pain after pregnancy. Chiropractors focus primarily on keeping the spine in optimal alignment. After examining a patient’s spine, the chiropractor will devise a treatment plan, complete with specific spinal mobilizations. 

Spinal mobilizations are treatments in which the chiropractor uses his or her hands to press subluxated segments of the spine back into place gently. In doing so, he or she can significantly decrease the patient’s pain, improve their function, and allow them to return to a more active life after pregnancy.

Are you experiencing hip pain after your pregnancy? Have you tried everything but been struggling to find relief? If so, our Lithia chiropractic team at At Last Chiropractic can help. Book your appointment now!