Should I be concerned about hip pain during pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a time of many positive changes, but it can also lead to short- and long-term pain in many areas of the body. 

For many women, the pain they feel during pregnancy is located in their hips. One medical study reports that more than 32% of the women surveyed had experienced hip pain while pregnant. Physical therapists can help you figure out what’s causing your pain, and they can also help you find effective treatment for it. So in most cases you shouldn’t be overly concerned about having hip pain during your pregnancy. 

What can cause hip pain during pregnancy?

There are many issues that can lead to hip pain in pregnant women. One of the most common is the weight that women gain during pregnancy. This extra weight can put additional stress on the hips, which can lead to pain. Additionally, the weight you gain can alter your center of gravity and change your posture. This, too, can result in additional hip stress and pain. 

Other issues that could be behind your pain include: 

• Sciatica
• Hormones naturally relaxing joint tissues
• Round ligament dysfunction
• Pelvic floor dysfunction
• Osteoporosis
• Poor sleeping position

Ways that physical therapy can help you with hip pain during pregnancy

The ways your physical therapist can help you with your pain include diagnosing its cause and developing an individualized therapy plan to treat it. Your therapy plan can be built using various therapy methods. Some of the methods your physical therapist could include in your plan are: 

• Therapeutic exercises that can stretch and strengthen the muscles that move and support the hips. 

• Soft tissue mobilization intended to reduce tension and pain in the soft tissue surrounding the hip. 

• Posture training designed to help you improve your posture during pregnancy. 

• Recommendations about sleep positions and aids. 

Whatcom Physical Therapy offers effective care for hip pain

Is your pregnancy causing you to experience hip pain? Our Whatcom PT team is ready to help you find effective therapy to decrease your pain. We can start by performing a free screening on you to determine the cause of your pain. Then, our specialists will create a personalized therapy plan intended to reduce your pain and prevent it from recurring. 

Feel more comfortable getting your therapy at home? No problem! Our team offers virtual therapy sessions where you meet with a physical therapist over a secure online video link, and you can easily do such sessions from the comfort of your own home.

Contact our team today for more information about all the therapy services we offer for hip pain or to schedule your initial appointment.