Knees 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 do his usual physical work, sometimes even walking. 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 labor, and after - adequate care for the baby.

How does the knee joint work and why does it hurt?

The knee joint is located at the junction of the tibia with the femur. The front is protected by a meniscus or the so-called patella. When moving in the joint, the calyx shifts along with the soft tissues. All the bones on the side facing the cavity of the joint are covered with synovial membranes.They allow the bones to glide relative to each other. 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 broken. For example, when thinning or thickening of the synovial membrane, inflammatory changes in synovial fluid, bone friction against each other, thinning of the bone tissue, displacement of the meniscus.

Causes of joint pain during pregnancy and after childbirth

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

The most common causes of this symptom are as follows:

1. Rheumatism. It is an autoimmune disease that occurs in some people after a sore throat or scarlet fever. Moreover, these infectious diseases can be carried in childhood, but rheumatism will last for a lifetime. 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, this affects the valve apparatus of the heart and joints. A reversible inflammatory reaction develops in the joints. When exacerbated 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 an infectious process. Antibodies in the body are genetically determined and appear spontaneously. Rheumatoid arthritis rarely affects the knee joints, often because of his hands hurt. However, some people have atypical localization of inflammation in the knee joint. At the same time, he is gradually immobilized. Symptoms also increase during pregnancy.
3. The lack of mineral elements. First of all it concerns calcium and phosphorus. With their deficiency, the structure and functional activity of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles change. This often occurs dislocations, subluxations, fractures, stretching. Even without obvious injuries soreness can be observed. The lack of these trace elements is associated with enhanced utilization, because everything that enters the mother's body is now distributed between her and the fetus.
4. Lack of vitamins. The mechanism is similar to the lack of minerals. The most severely tolerated decrease in the body of antioxidant vitamins - ascorbic acid and tocopherol.
5. Change in posture. During pregnancy, starting from the second trimester, the posture of a woman undergoes changes. The bends of the spine become more pronounced, which increases the mechanical pressure on the legs, including the knees.
6. Weight gain. The body weight of a woman increases due to the growing fetus and the increasing volume of amniotic fluid. In addition, some women themselves gain weight from the third trimester. Normally, the weight of a woman during pregnancy increases by 6-10kg 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 responsibilities, and the destruction of the anatomical structures of the joints occurs. All this causes pain.

All symptoms that occur during pregnancy persist after childbirth. In addition, in the process of childbirth, the knee joint may be damaged, which will also cause it to hurt.

What to do if your knees hurt

To begin with, it is necessary 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. The most commonly used diclofenac, voltaren, ibuprofen. Drugs can be taken orally, make injections, and also used topically in the form of ointments. At the same time, 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 splints.
3. Diuretics. It is prescribed if, in addition to pain, there is a significant swelling of the tissues. Diuretics remove excess water from the body and reduce swelling.
4. Glucocorticoids. It is prescribed for 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 in order to strengthen the 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 necessary for the body. Including, and joints. Reception of them, as a rule, is prescribed to all nursing mothers.

Pain prevention

Prevention of the disease is much more efficient and cost-effective than its treatment. In order not to hurt the joints, you must perform the following activities:

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

Thus, it can be concluded that pain after childbirth may be due to pathology during pregnancy or injury in childbirth. In this case, it arises as a result of 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, but there are drugs that are prescribed to everyone. It is recommended to start early prevention of pain in the knee joints.

Video: a wonderful exercise for the knee