Hip Pain After Pregnancy (Causes, Symptoms, Home Remedies)

It is a common belief that pregnancy is the main cause of joint and hip pain, after which the life of mothers becomes normal. However, it seems that these beliefs are completely wrong and these pains can continue even after you give birth.

Whether hip pain is caused by hormonal changes or physical needs of pregnancy, no one should neglect them and if you are experiencing hip pain after pregnancy, you better take the symptoms and causes seriously. Note that this pain can last for a long time if not taken seriously.

For the above reasons, the Hipregnancy team has prepared an article in which we will help you diagnose your problem and get your physician’s help as soon as possible.

How high is the chance of hip pain after pregnancy?

This is a subject that is usually not discussed in regular reports, even though mothers’ life and health should be prioritized and pregnancy should not be the only reason for eating well and staying healthy.

Hence, neglecting it will be a great mistake. It is one of the most common problems women can experience after pregnancy.

This matter is crucial due to the fact that hip pain can highly affect women’s life expectancy. We have received numerous e-mails from young women complaining about their problems and how they cannot sleep at night (they share their experience of postpartum hip pain) and asked our Hipregnancy teams how they can manage this pain to sleep sound and well at night.

It does not matter whether you had your baby a couple of weeks ago; it can still happen for women of all ages.

Also Read: home remedy for headache after delivery

What can cause hip pain after pregnancy?

There are a number of conditions that can cause hip pain and these conditions include PGP, age, osteoarthritis, and piriformis syndrome (you can always consult your doctor about what is happening to your body).

These conditions are briefly explained as follows:

• What is PGP and how can it affect women?

Hip instability can be associated with PGP and it is one of the main causes of hip pain. There are a number of reasons that PGP can happen and cause pain in your hip. Symptoms of this condition are as follows:

1. The pain starts while you are walking in a public area
2. As you move or do you work, your pain worsens.
3. You are feeling pain in your lower back.
4. A strange sound is coming from your hip.
5. Genetics
6. Piriformis syndrome

This syndrome is usually occurring after you give birth to your baby. Tightness in the piriformis muscle is mostly reported by women suffering from piriformis syndrome.

As a result of this disorder, you may feel pain in the sciatic nerve and piriformis syndrome is seen to have the following symptoms:

1. Sciatica
2. Hip pain
3. Leg pain

If you want to have a better result, you can always rely on your doctor’s diagnosis and advice; never forget to consult him/her.

• Age progression

Unfortunately, age is among the causes that can actually contribute to the occurrence of hip pain. As age progresses, the bones in the body become brittle and their strength decreases and a simple fall can cause a fracture of the bones.

• How you sleep

If you use a non-convenient mattress to sleep on, waking up at night is possible with sore hips.

• Osteoarthritis (OA)

If you are suffering from this condition in your hip, there is a possibility that you will see the following symptoms:

1. Thigh and knee pain due to sitting in one place for a while
2. Pain during simple exercises, such as stretching, walking around, and even standing up
3. Hip locking
4. Sound of grinding in your hip

Symptoms and Localization of Hip Pain After Pregnancy

In addition to the areas mentioned above for the pain occurrence, you can also feel the pain or discomfort in the following regions: outside and inside your hip joint, groin, and bottleneck.

Pain can have different symptoms and they can be associated with various conditions. Hipregnancy has prepared a list of four symptoms that can be related to hip pain. However, if you have doubts about them and the underlying condition, you should contact your physician and gain his/her advice.

These symptoms include:

• You start limping while walking. You will need to contact your physician or experienced orthopedist for a proper treatment
• Hip swelling. If you have swollen skin and the sign has not been removed since it has appeared, you must check with your physician.
• Stiffness. You will find it difficult to do normal routine things, such as putting on your shoes, bending over to grab your stuff from the ground, etc. In other words, you will have pain in every joint you move.

Now that we know where hip pain occurs and the symptoms, let’s see how you can manage hip pain after pregnancy.

When should you visit a doctor and how can you manage hip pain after pregnancy?

There is a chance that you will experience hip pain once or twice after pregnancy. However, if hip pain is coming back repeatedly, consult your doctor immediately so he/she can help you lower your hip pain.

In most cases and depending on the patient’s condition, your physician can offer the following treatment options:

• Medication such as antirheumatic drugs and biological response modifiers are recommended. However, any medication here should also be prescribed by your physician.
• Also, doctors can prescribe OTC pain relievers in order to elevate the pain that patients are feeling on their hips or different parts of their bodies. If you want to use these medications, you better consult your doctor about the implications.
• Any exercise type and physical therapy suggested by your doctor (which is a desirable option for PGP)

What are the home remedies for hip pain after pregnancy?

In addition to the doctor’s intervention, you can use the following home remedies in order to elevate symptoms of hip pain:

1- Try to maintain your healthy weight with a proper food diet. Don’t do such action without your doctor’s orders.

2- Eating fruits and vegetables is highly recommended.

3- Avoid any items that contain caffeine (energy drinks, coffee)

4- Lifting heavy objects should be avoided at all costs.

5- Change how you stand up, stand still, and sit to find the best posture.

6- Doing certain positions in your exercise. As suggested by many physicians, exercise should be done regularly. However, overtiring yourself will not be a good option. Some of these positions include external hip rotation, hip and lower back stretch, hip extension, etc.

7- Lying down. There is a possibility that you are lying on the bed in the wrong manner. For better results, you can try the following:

• Lie on your back and rest your head
• Always put a pillow between your legs if you are lying on one side.

Conclusion

Hipregnancy presents a number of causes, such as PGP, age progression, and Osteoarthritis, which can cause hip pain after pregnancy. We discussed the symptoms of this condition and presented several home remedies and medical options for you to get better.

This option includes light to moderate exercises, medication prescribed and allowed by your doctor, walking and swimming without overtiring yourself, a suitable diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, etc. If you are thinking of taking medication to relieve the pain, you better seek advice from your doctor before making a rash decision.

Additionally, our team of experts in Hipregnancy is ready to answer any question you might have day and night, and all you need to do is share your worries and questions with us.