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Aching Joints during Pregnancy
Q: Woke up this morning with my hand and feet joints aching pretty bad. I'm not swollen around there, and my blood pressure has been low my entire pregnancy. I'm now 36 weeks pregnant...any suggestions, and should I be worried?
A: The joints bear all of the extra forces of movement, so with extra weight in pregnancy, they will be taxed suddenly (36 weeks compared to your whole life is considered "sudden" to a joint). And then add the swelling and your change in your center of gravity as you walk. A few visits to a physical therapist can treat if not eliminate this problem. Report this to your doctor, though, so that he or she can consider the weird things, like arthritis, gout, even gonorrhea (don't flip out--just mentioned for the sake of completeness).
Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo is a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist who has been in private practice since 1981
and has served as Chief of the
Medical Staff at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in greater New Orleans. Dr. DiLeo's new book The
Anxious Parents' Guide to Pregnancy is now available.
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