During pregnancy, expectant mothers may experience disabling tightness in the groin and pelvis. How to recognize these ligament pains and relieve them effectively? The explanations and advice of Anh-Chi Ton, midwife.
Ligament pain is one of the usual minor ailments of pregnancy. Without seriousness, they can however be very disabling. “Some first-time pregnant women sometimes confuse them with contractions, even though they are really two different things.“, explains the midwife.
Ligament pain: what is it?
Ligament pain is the relaxation and stretching of ligaments, under the action of relaxin and progesterone. “This pregnancy hormone promotes tissue relaxation and will thus facilitate childbirth.”, details Anh-Chi Ton. They usually appear in the second trimester of pregnancy and may increase in severity during the third trimester as the uterus grows and becomes heavier.
Recognize ligament pain during pregnancy
“While sciatica pains are localized at the back, the path goes from the buttocks to the back of the thighs, the ligament pains are located in front, or at the level of the pubis, we then speak of Lacomme syndrome, either in the groin ”, explains the midwife. The mother-to-be may feel an intense tightness but also a kind of electric shock that radiates from the groin to the pubis. “It is not a sharp pain but rather a discomfort that you get used to, even if it can hinder movement and make it difficult for pregnant women to move around”, she adds.
How to relieve ligament pain during pregnancy?
If it is difficult to escape ligament pain, especially during a first pregnancy, it is possible to relieve them. Eating a balanced diet to avoid a magnesium deficiency, making an appointment with an osteopath but also practicing gentle physical activity linked to the end of the pregnancy can help prevent pain. “I generally prescribe a magnesium cure for women and recommend that they do acupuncture sessions, which are very effective in relieving tightness”, explains the midwife. The latter specifies that it is also possible to take paracetamol, but sparingly.
Thanks to Anh-Chi Ton, midwife in Paris
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