Postpartum Joint Pain (Arthritis): Causes And Tips To Manage

Arthritis (Joint Pain) After Pregnancy: Causes And Tips To Manage

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Arthritis is a condition characterized by stiffening and swelling of joints resulting in decreased range of motion. Although this is a common geriatric problem, arthritis after pregnancy may occur in a few women. This condition could be due to physical changes after pregnancy and childbirth. It may be present for a few weeks or a few months after pregnancy. Postpartum arthritis may cause a lot of discomfort to the mother, and hence knowing the right treatment and caring measures could be helpful. Continue reading the post for more information.

In This Article

Is Arthritis Common After Pregnancy?

Arthritis is common in people of all ages. It may aggravate after pregnancy and a few women are likely to experience arthritis flare-ups for some time after delivery (1). They may have postpartum joint pains in their wrists, hands, ankles, and feet.

Quick fact

Changes in the immune system is responsible for remission of arthritis in pregnancy and flare ups in the postpartum period (11).

Causes Of Arthritis After Delivery

New mothers may have postpartum joint pains or arthritis for the following reasons.

During pregnancy, most autoimmune diseasesⁱXRelated to conditions where the immune system attacks the body’s healthy cells due to a malfunction , such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritisⁱXType of arthritis seen in people with psoriasis, which is also an autoimmune condition causing itchy, red patches on the skin , go into remission because of the vigorous antibody and cell-mediated immune responses. The symptoms may again flare up after pregnancy (2).

The immune system usually becomes stronger after pregnancy. The overactive immune system may lead to pre-existing allergies or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupusⁱXA condition in which the immune system attacks its tissues, causing inflammation , or psoriatic arthritis (3).

Overactive immune system may cause rheumatoid arthritis after pregnancy

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Age, genetics, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, infections, occupation, and diet deficiencies may also lead to arthritis flare-ups during the postpartum period (4).

What Should You Do If You Have Postpartum Joint Pain or Arthritis?

Some measures that might help in managing and treating postpartum joint pain or arthritis are:

See a doctor: Seek medical help if you already have arthritis. The doctor may give treatment to minimize pain, reduce joint damage, and improve the quality of life. You could only achieve them through regular follow-ups and by following the recommended treatment.

Quick tip

Discuss with your doctor and plan your medications based on breastfeeding schedule to minimize its effects on babies (12).

Have a balanced diet: Work out a healthy diet plan with your nutritionist. Include low-calorie, low-fat foods, and plan your meals and snacks in a way that you are having a balanced diet.

Manage your weight: Losing the excess weight and maintaining a healthy weight could be helpful if you have arthritis. It can lower the stress on joints, especially the hips and knees. Being overweight may also increase the risk of having arthritis.

Stay active: Being physically active could relieve you from pain and improve your mood. It also decreases your chances of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

Being physically active can relieve postpartum joint pain

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Improve your self-management skills: You may join a self-management education program to learn skills to manage arthritis. It could help you gain control over your health, manage pain and its symptoms, reduce stress levels, improve mood, and communicate better with your doctor (5).

Wear correct size comfortable footwear: Avoid high heels. Ensure the sole is soft and gives adequate cushioning.

Can You Get Rheumatoid Arthritis After Pregnancy?

There is a risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis after pregnancy. Although there is no substantial evidence to support this claim, there is a belief that complex hormonal and immune-related shifts occur during and after pregnancy. This could be a plausible reason for an increase in the rate of rheumatoid arthritis after pregnancy (6). However, pregnancy alone need not be a reason for getting RA, as other factors such as genetics play a more important role.

Does Breastfeeding Make Rheumatoid Arthritis Worse?

Mothers with RA may have severe pain while breastfeeding

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Breastfeeding may not worsen rheumatoid arthritis. But some mothers with RA may have severe pain while holding the baby for breastfeeding.

Does Postpartum Arthritis Go Away?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for arthritis. However, early treatment and a healthy lifestyle could help you manage the condition (7).And lead a near normal life.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you diagnose rheumatoid arthritis?

For rheumatoid arthritis, doctors can suggest the following tests (8) (9):

Physical examination to assess the swelling and movement of joints
Blood tests
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rateⁱXA blood test used to check for inflammation in the body to detect inflammation in the body
- C-reactive proteinⁱXA liver protein, the presence of which indicates an inflammation to detect inflammation
- Complete blood count to know about general health
- Rheumatoid factor to check the antibody present in people with this condition
- Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptideⁱXType of antibodies used as biomarkers for the detection of rheumatoid arthritis
Joint scans
- X-rays
- MRI
- Ultrasound
Arthroscopy, where a thin tube with light and camera is inserted in the joint to detect bone disease and tumors

2. Can pregnancy cause arthritis flare-ups?

In some women, the pain and swelling associated with rheumatoid arthritis seem to reduce during pregnancy. However, some women do not notice any changes, while a few others notice worsening symptoms. Therefore, discussing your symptoms with your doctor and creating a precise treatment plan is important. Also, since pregnancy is generally associated with backaches and swelling, the symptoms should not be confused with rheumatoid arthritis (10).

Arthritis after pregnancy can get aggravated if you have a history of arthritis or if it is genetic. You must talk to a rheumatologist about its management during and after pregnancy to ensure it is under control. While postpartum joint pain or arthritis cannot be cured, you can still take specific measures to manage it. It includes following a healthy lifestyle and taking a balanced diet. It is of great help to avoid inflammatory foods and be regular with any form of physical activity that you enjoy. Also, keep in mind not to cause excessive strain on your body.

Infographic: What You Should Know About Postpartum Arthritis?

Arthritis can be suppressed during pregnancy due to biochemical changes in the body. However, postpartum comes with an exacerbation of the condition. Timely management could help to deal with flares better. Go through the infographic to learn about postpartum arthritis.

Get high-quality PDF version by clicking below.

Download Infographic

References:

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