Pregnancy Leg Pain

Legs being the part which takes the body weight during whole life, needs to carry more as the baby grows in pregnancy. While morning sickness, fatigue, and back pain are frequent complaints during pregnancy, leg and foot problems are just as common, particularly during the last trimester.

Fortunately, chances are these ailments will disappear after you deliver. In the meantime, there are some things you can do to alleviate discomfort.

Leg Cramps During Pregnancy

Leg cramps are those sudden tightening of muscles, which causes intense pain. The muscles may tighten for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Lack of fluids
• Injury
• Muscle strain
• Staying in the same position for a long period of time.
• Blood circulation problems or pressure on the nerves in the spine can also cause cramp-like pains in your legs.

The reasons for increased leg cramps during pregnancy are not known and is still under research. They may be caused by changes in blood circulation during pregnancy or the stress on your leg muscles of carrying the extra weight of pregnancy or the pressure of the growing baby on the nerves and blood vessels that go to your legs.

Remedies for leg pain during pregnancy

• Remedies for leg cramps have been dismal failures.
• Massaging the cramps is the most immediate remedy, but that can be like chasing your own tail.
• Taking extra calcium in supplements sounds like a good idea
• The best working solution is continued exercise to keep the leg muscles in shape.