About Edema and Over-Pronation

In addition to a swollen belly, many women experience swollen legs and feet during their pregnancy. Because of all this extra weight and added stress on the feet, getting around during pregnancy can become difficult.

Sometimes, this extra pregnancy weight can place so much pressure on the body that the arches of the feet flatten, leading to discomfort and even pain. When your arches start to fall, the feet may begin to over-pronate, or turn in abnormally.

"Over-pronation is common in pregnancy in that the increased weight gain stresses the feet and 'flattens the arches' causing the feet to 'roll in,' " says Timothy C. Ford, DPM, director of the podiatric residency program at Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's HealthCare in Louisville, Ky. "This condition can stretch the plantar fascia," the tissues lining the bottom of your feet, causing the painful inflammation known as plantar fasciitis. It's natural for the foot to flatten a bit during pregnancy, but too much flattening can cause foot pain, and eventually, knee problems. Over-pronation may be so severe that even walking becomes painful.

Swelling, also called edema, is another big problem for many pregnant women. "Edema is just the swelling of the feet, again from the extra blood and fluids required for pregnancy [with] gravity adding to the equation," Dr. Ford explains.

Both over-pronation and edema can make pregnancy more uncomfortable than it needs to be, so you should take steps to minimize these conditions.

Source: everydayhealth

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