Muscle cramp, hormonal changes, weight gain, fluid gain, improper sleeping position, lack of thyroid hormone, over pressure, and injury of soft tissues are some of the causes for knee pain during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, there are many changes that occur in your body. Due to these normal physical changes, it is common to experience an increase in joint and muscle pain. Weight gain puts pressure on the knees and can aggravate knee pain. You may also notice that your joints look loose. All this is very normal, but it can easily lead to the question about how to treat joint pain naturally during pregnancy.

Joint pain is one of the frequent discomfort suffered by pregnant women. This is because the joints have to support a greater weight than they had before and change the center of gravity. In addition, the increase in water weight can increase stiffness in the feet, hips, knees, and ankles. Water weight gain can also worsen carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes pain and tingling in the fingers.

Knee Pain Causes and  Home Remedies During Pregnancy

Possible Causes of Knee Pain in Pregnancy

The causes of knee pain can be multiple and varied. It may be due to weight gain, hormonal changes or the pressure of the uterus. But it could also be caused by fluid retention.

Muscle Cramp

When the muscle works too much, without being stretched, a tension is created. This tension can cause cramps, which affect different parts of the knee. The sensation resembles a sudden and painful spasm of the muscle and can last from a few seconds to a few minutes.

Hormonal Changes

Hormonal changes during pregnancy also play a role in knee pain. During the third trimester, hormones are released to loosen the ligaments and tendons of the pelvis in preparation for delivery, including those around the knees.

Weight Gain

Even if a woman carries only 25 extra pounds for a few months at the end of her pregnancy, the extra pressure on the weight-bearing joints can cause quite a severe knee pain.

Fluid Gain

Fluid gain is directly related to joint pain during pregnancy. At the time of pregnancy, there is a sudden increase in the fluid gain.

Position of Sleeping

Your sleeping position can also lead to knee pain during pregnancy.

Hormonal Changes

At the time of pregnancy, there is a release of hormones in order to relax the pelvic ligaments and tendons. But these hormones also loosen other ligaments and tendons thereby leading to joint pain.

Daily Desk Job

Few women work even after getting pregnant. Works that require a long time of sitting or standing can cause pain in joints and other parts too.

Past Conditions

Medical joint pain reasons can even be carried out during pregnancy too. Common among them are rheumatoid arthritis and disk complaints.

Lack of Thyroid Hormone

If your thyroid glands do not produce enough thyroid hormone, a condition called Hypothyroidism can occur. This adversely leads to a gain in weight and pains in the joint.

Over Pressure

Due to over pressure on hips, knees, and ankles, there is a disturbance in the weight distribution that causes knee pain.

Soft Tissues Injury

You may also experience knee pains because of the injuries in the soft tissues.

Remedies to Combat Knee Pain in Pregnancy

There are some natural remedies to fight knee pain. You can apply heat on these joints to soothe the pain. To prevent fluid retention and control weight gain, watch your diet.

Cold Compresses

This treatment is associated with sprains and minor tears of the ligaments. To reduce inflammation use a cold compress for 30 minutes, two or three times a day.

Hot Compresses

The use of hot compresses relieves pain and stiffness associated with diseases such as arthritis. You can use an electric blanket at a low to medium temperature, a microwave bag or a warm compress and place it in the affected area for 15 minutes, several times a day.

Cold and Hot

This treatment is, simply, a combination of the previous ones, where hot and cold packs alternate during 15 minutes to reactivate the circulation and to alleviate the pain.

Feeding

Consuming the proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that we need is everything to maintain a vigorous, flexible and healthy body. If we also take into account those foods that strengthen the bones, our knees will appreciate it.

Eat foods rich in calcium to fight osteoporosis and osteoarthritis: almonds, nuts, milk

Take a clove of garlic every day fasting, this way you will strengthen your bones.

Take 2 squares of aloe vera every morning to avoid joint pains.

Lemon

Lemon has the most varied healing properties. If you have continuous knee pains, you just have to chop a lemon in half and use it to massage the affected area.

This treatment relieves inflammation in the joints and also rheumatic pains. But you should not sunbathe exactly after you have done so that your skin does not get stained due to the lemon.

Guava Against Inflammations

Guava contains three times more vitamin C than an orange, it is a very healthy and nutritious fruit. To eliminate the pains in the joints you must chop 4 ripe guavas and add a liter of boiled water. This preparation is left to stand for 3 hours and consumed as common water. It should be done for 15 to 90 days. The results are amazing.

Avocado

The avocado has a very high nutritional value and its pulp is a rich source of proteins, healthy fats and minerals, but we will only use its seed.

You should place the avocado seeds in a dry and cool place until they are well dried and then crush them into powder and mix with hot honey until it becomes a paste. Apply it to the affected area as if it were a cream. This remedy is also used to soothe muscle aches. It is very effective

Aloe Vera

It is advisable to have an aloe vera plant or aloe vera planted at home because it has many therapeutic uses, for example, it serves to treat osteoarthritis.

First, you should peel and diced the aloe vera and beat it in the blender with an orange peel. The resulting paste is mixed with a little cup of honey and a little bit of red mud.

Apply this paste on your knees every night and let it dry for 30 minutes. Remove it with fresh water.

Acupuncture

Do not be afraid, acupuncture can be ideal to relieve you and does not involve pain, it consists in the insertion and manipulation of needles in the body with the aim of restoring health and well-being in the patient. You can improve your quality of life permanently.

Be sure to consult your doctor if your joint pain gets worse or if you experience tingling and/or numbness in your hands or feet.

References:

http://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/joint-pain-during-pregnancy/

https://www.boldsky.com/pregnancy-parenting/prenatal/2014/reason-for-joint-pain-during-pregnancy-042881.html