Knees hurt after childbirth - causes and treatment

Pain in the knee joints is an unpleasant symptom that interferes with daily activity, prevents sleep, exhausts the body. Often, because of such pain, a person cannot engage in the usual physical work, sometimes even walk. Often, pain in the knee joints occurs in pregnant or recently given birth women. In this case, it can interfere with the normal course of childbirth, and after that - adequate care for the child.

How is the knee joint and why does it hurt?

The knee joint is located at the junction of the tibia with the femur. The front meniscus protects them, or the so-called kneecap. When moving in the joint, the cup moves with the soft tissues. All bones on the side facing the joint cavity are covered with synovial membranes. They provide gliding bones to each other relative to the arc. There is always a small amount of fluid in the joint cavity. It provides cushioning of the joint.

Pain can occur if one of the anatomical structures of the joint is disturbed. For example, with a thinning or thickening of the synovial membrane, an inflammatory change in the synovial fluid, friction of the bones against each other, thinning of the bone tissue, displacement of the meniscus.

Causes of joint pain during pregnancy and after childbirth

Joint pain may appear even before pregnancy. In this case, the cause is not related to this condition, but it is a factor that aggravates the pain. In other cases, joints begin to hurt, which before that were completely healthy. Why is this happening?

Most often, the causes of this symptom are as follows:

1. Rheumatism. This is an autoimmune disease that occurs in some people after a sore throat or scarlet fever. Moreover, the above-mentioned infectious diseases can be transmitted in childhood, but rheumatism will remain for life. In this disease, the body regards its tissues as foreign and produces antibodies against them. These antibodies induce inflammation in the connective tissue of the body. Most often, the valvular apparatus of the heart and joints are affected. A reversible inflammatory reaction develops in the joints. With exacerbation of rheumatism, they begin to hurt. During pregnancy, the immune response is perverted, because the joints hurt more often.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis. It is also an autoimmune disease, but it is not associated with the infectious process. Antibodies in the body are genetically determined and appear spontaneously. Rheumatoid arthritis rarely affects the knee joints, more often because of it the hands hurt. However, some people have atypical localization of inflammation in the knee joint. At the same time, he is gradually immobilized. Symptoms are also exacerbated during pregnancy.
3. The lack of mineral elements. This primarily concerns calcium and phosphorus. With their lack, the structure and functional activity of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles changes. In this case, often there are dislocations, subluxations, fractures, sprains. Even without obvious injuries, pain can be observed. The disadvantage of these microelements is associated with their increased utilization, because everything that enters the mother’s body is now distributed between her and the fetus.
4. Vitamin deficiency. The mechanism is similar to a lack of minerals. The most heavily tolerated decrease in the body is antioxidant vitamins - ascorbic acid and tocopherol.
5. Change in posture. During pregnancy, starting from the second trimester, the posture of a woman undergoes changes.Bends of the spine become more pronounced, which increases the mechanical pressure on the legs, including the knees.
6. Weight gain. The woman's body weight increases due to the growing fetus and the increasing volume of amniotic fluid. In addition, some women by themselves gain weight, starting in the third trimester. Normally, a woman’s weight during pregnancy increases by 6-10 kg from the original. For some, this figure reaches 20-30 kg. Such a load on the legs leads to the fact that the shock-absorbing structures of the knee joint do not cope with their duties, and the destruction of the anatomical formations of the joints occurs. All this causes pain.

All symptoms that occur during pregnancy persist after childbirth. In addition, the knee joint may be damaged during childbirth, which will also make it painful.

What to do if your knees hurt

First, you need to determine the cause of the pain, and then look for ways to eliminate it. Therapeutic tactics may be as follows:

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs. They are prescribed for any etiology of this symptom. Most often, diclofenac, voltaren, ibuprofen are used. Drugs can be taken orally, injections, and also used topically in the form of ointments. Moreover, they also have an analgesic effect.
2. Immobilization. In case of dislocations and subluxations, full or partial immobilization (immobilization) of the corresponding joint is recommended. To do this, use special tires or longts.
3. Diuretics. It is prescribed if, in addition to pain, there is significant swelling of the tissues. Diuretics remove excess water from the body and reduce swelling.
4. Glucocorticoids. Assign with rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis. They reduce the severity of autoimmune reactions. In addition, with edema, they can also be used to reduce vascular permeability.
5. Cytostatics. Assign in exceptional cases with autoimmune diseases that are not stopped by glucocorticoids.
6. Calcium and Vitamin D. Calcium is needed to strengthen ligaments, muscles and bones. This will reduce pain and reduce the likelihood of injury. Vitamin D is necessary for calcium to be better absorbed by the body.
7. Ascorbic acid and tocopherol. As already mentioned, antioxidant vitamins are essential for the body. Including joints. Their reception, as a rule, is prescribed to all nursing mothers.

Prevention of pain

Prevention of the disease is much more effective and economical than its treatment. In order to not hurt the joints, it is necessary to perform the following measures:

1. Physiotherapy. Yoga is especially useful for pregnant women. There are special asanas designed to be performed at certain times of pregnancy. After giving birth, you can also do yoga or do general strengthening exercises.
2. Taking multivitamins for pregnant women. As a rule, such drugs are prescribed to everyone. They contain daily doses of all vitamins and the most important trace elements.
3. Body weight control. There is a myth that everything that a mother eats during pregnancy and breastfeeding is necessary for the child. In fact, the baby does not need everything. For example, sweet and fatty is even harmful for him. In addition, the increase in mass negatively affects the functioning of various body structures. The musculoskeletal system in these conditions suffers significantly.

Thus, we can conclude that pain after childbirth may be due to pathology during pregnancy or trauma in childbirth. At the same time, it arises both due to various diseases, most often autoimmune, and with the wrong lifestyle of the future mother. The treatment of such a pathology depends on the causes of its occurrence, however, there are drugs that are prescribed to everyone. It is recommended to begin early prevention of pain in the knee joints.

Video: a wonderful exercise for the knee joints