Are you Pregnant? Seeing a Pedorthist can help!
I can speak from personal experience….being pregnant in a pandemic is NOT easy! This makes taking care of you and your growing baby more important than ever before. It is well known that regular visits to see our Massage Therapists, Physiotherapists and Chiropractors can do wonders for keeping you feeling your best throughout your pregnancy. Lesser known is how Pedorthtic products and services can also be extremely helpful. Products such as orthotics, proper footwear, compression socks and bracing can be great for prevention as well as to treat common musculoskeletal conditions often developed during pregnancy.
With loosening of ligaments during pregnancy as a result of Relaxin hormone production, it is common for the arches in the feet to collapse and flatten. This is why women often report that their feet can get longer or wider following a pregnancy. This loosening of the ligaments can put you at risk for overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis (heel/arch pain) or metatarsalgia (pain in the ball of the foot). Proper footwear and often orthotics is helpful to support the arches of your feet to reduce the extra strain and tension being placed on the muscles and fascia in your feet. As tempting as it is to slip on a pair of Old Navy flip flops, these types of footwear can add to the stress and strain and increase your risk of developing pain. Footwear that provides some arch and forefoot support such as Birkenstock sandals or running shoes are going to be best. Custom made orthotics can further add arch support to better protect your precious feet during pregnancy!
Compression Socks
Starting later in the 2nd trimester and lasting all through the 3rd trimester is the onset of swelling in the feet and lower legs. This can cause stiffness, heavy legs, varicose vein development and also increase risk of DVT (deep vein thrombosis). Although it is a normal part of pregnancy, compression socks can be very helpful in reducing the blood pooling and swelling, while improving circulation. Graduated compression is tightest around the ankles and gradually decreases compression as it extends up the legs. Companies such as Sigvaris and Lunatik provide medical grade support with a ton of different fabrics and fun patterns to meet all your needs!
One of the most common physical complaints of pregnancy can be low back or SI joint (posterior pelvic) pain. This is deep pain in the low back, close to the spine which can occur on either side and sometimes radiates down the buttock and into the back of the thigh. This can often begin in the middle/end of 2nd trimester and progressively worsen throughout the 3rd trimester. Physiotherapy and Chiropractic care can be extremely helpful in alleviating this pain however, adding a SI joint belt can provide added relief between therapy treatments. Orthopaedic belts such as the Bauerfeind SacroLoc brace, or the Donjoy SI belt have been found to do wonders for women suffering through SI joint pain and pelvic discomfort.
If you have any questions or concerns about what products might be right for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our clinic to book you Pedorthic Consultation today!
Lauren Simonds C.Ped(C) -Canadian Certified Pedorthist