Expectant mothers are advised to gain a healthy 10 to 40 pounds during their pregnancy. For some, the extra cargo leaves their supporting joints in need of a knee doctor.
The changes your body undergoes during pregnancy can range from uncomfortable to horrifying. Excessive facial hair,
jowls, and morning sickness can add up to one unhappy mom-to-be. The extra weight gained causes emotional pain for a lot of women, and very real physical pain for others, especially in the knees. When the discomfort turns into pain, and the pain becomes debilitating, you may want to make an appointment with a knee doctor.
Depending on your pre-pregnancy weight, you will probably be advised to gain anywhere from 10 to 40 pounds during the gestational period. If done healthily, this weight gain is a considered a positive change. But for many, the rapid addition of so much weight can wreak havoc on their poor knees.
The weight gain itself is not really the main culprit. For non-pregnant people, weight gain does not begin to adversely affect the knee joints until the point of obesity. But pregnant women are not just carrying extra body weight, they are carrying a baby in the front of their bodies, which totally throws off their natural center of gravity.
Pregnant women have to adjust the way they stand and walk. The weight in the front causes them to lean back, placing stress on the hips, back, and knees in a way that they are unprepared for. Some women suffer this pain only when walking or standing for extended periods of time. But others report persistent, excruciating pain even when sitting, lying down, or just getting out of bed. A qualified knee doctor can remedy these cases.
The situation is further exacerbated by large amounts of the hormone relaxin that a pregnant woman's body produces. The purpose of the hormone surge is to loosen up the joints in the pelvis to allow them to expand enough to accommodate a fully-grown baby. However, like all hormones, its effects are not limited to one part of the body. The relaxing, loosening effect can be found in all joints in the body, including the knees.
This contributes to the pain as the weakened knee joint struggles to hold the newly added weight. However, pain is not the only, or even the worst, issue. Loose knee joints cause instability that can endanger the mother or child if she were to fall.
A knee doctor may be able to recommend a few solutions for women who find themselves weak in the knees. Surgery during pregnancy is usually avoided unless totally necessary. But for a serious injury or condition, a less invasive surgery called arthroscopy can be safely performed.
For less dire cases, knee braces may be recommended to provide extra support, balance and pain relief. For further pain relief, low doses of acetaminophen are considered safe for pregnant women. Many other popular over-the-counter painkillers carry warnings for pregnant women. The most popular of these are ibuprofen and aspirin, which are linked to increased risk of miscarriage and life-threatening developmental defects for the baby.
