What is round ligament pain in pregnancy
In order to understand what round ligament pain is in pregnancy, we must first discuss what is a round ligament? The round ligament is a pair of ligaments that attach from the pelvis to the uterus that help stabilize the uterus during pregnancy.
The round ligaments can loosen and contract like a rubber band.
In women who are not pregnant the round ligaments are thick, short and round and as your belly grows during pregnancy, they start to lengthen.
What causes round ligament pain?
Round ligament pain is more common from the second trimester of pregnancy because as your belly grows the round ligaments lengthen in order to stabilize the uterus.
Sudden rapid movements can cause the round ligaments to tighten quickly causing sudden, sharp pain.
If your pelvis is out of alignment this can cause an asymmetrical rotation through the pelvis which can cause tightening of the round ligament on the one side. This causes a feeling of constant pulling and discomfort from your groin up along the side of your belly.
What you can do to ease round ligament pain
- Take it easy and rest
- Reduce activity
- Avoid sudden movements. (Try and move slowly when changing positions)
- Warm bath
- Certain stretches
- Chiropractic care
How chiropractic care can help ease round ligament pain?
A pregnancy chiropractor will help relieve round ligament pain by:
- Assessing your pelvis and checking for misalignments
- Release muscular tension around the pelvis with soft tissue massage
- Pelvic and diaphragmatic fascial release
- Fascial release of round ligament between attachment points
- Once the above has been released your chiropractor will perform gentle manipulations and mobilizations on the 3 connecting points of the pelvis to improvement alignment
The above chiropractic treatment is beneficial during pregnancy not only for the relief of round ligament pain but also for correcting pelvic misalignments and any asymmetrical tension around the uterus. This allows optimal space for your baby to grow and aid you in experiencing a pain free pregnancy
