Why the pubic bone hurts: causes, diagnosis and treatment methods

The pubic bone can become inflamed or injured. If you are looking for an answer to the question of why the pubic bone hurts, then you should definitely consult a gynecologist or traumatologist. This pathology needs a thorough diagnosis. The intensity of the pain, as well as the time the onset of the unpleasant symptom will not matter. In any case, seek help from a doctor who will tell you exactly why the pubic bone hurts. About the possible reasons - in the article.

How is it arranged?

The pubic bone is considered part of the skeleton, with the help of which the pelvic bone is formed. In women and men, the pubis consists of a body and 2 branches, thus forming a closed hole with a membrane located there.

Women of ordinary physique have a roll-shaped bone, the thickness of which is equal to the thumb on the hand. It is arched and is called pubic elevation. Like an arch, it hangs over women over the genitals, fusing with the pelvic bones.

The distance between these pubic bones should normally be no more than 5 mm. During pregnancy, this indicator changes upward by 3 mm.

Why does the pubic bone hurt?

There are many different reasons why a pathology may appear. They may also vary depending on gender. Consider why the pubic bone in men and women hurts.

Men

Representatives of the stronger sex experience pain, which is associated with trauma to this bone. This should include open or closed fractures, simple bruises. The reasons why the pubic bone hurts are as follows:

1. Accident resulting in a bone injury.
2. Fall to the ground from a great height.
3. Sports injuries, for example, during car races, skiing, cycling.
4. A simple fall, which is considered a very common occurrence for the elderly.
5. Fractures causing a direct blow to the pubic zone or pelvic compression.

Women

And why does the pubic bone in women hurt? The fair sex, in addition to trauma to the pelvic area, can also have various problems that are gynecological in nature. Common causes of pubic bone pain in women include:

1. In the second half of pregnancy, softening of the joint between the bones is observed, and this phenomenon is called symphysiolysis syndrome.
2. Divergence of bone tissue or symphysitis until the separation at birth.
3. Congenital pathologies that are associated with the structure of the pelvic bones.

Why does the pubic bone hurt during pregnancy?

Future mothers quite often experience soreness, which is localized in the pubic joint. Mostly it occurs in the last trimester of the period of gestation of the baby. But why does the pubic bone hurt during pregnancy? This happens due to softening of the pubic tissue . Soreness differs in characteristics:

1. It is pronounced, especially when moving, for example, when turning the body, when climbing stairs or when lifting from a bed.
2. Sensations intensify in the afternoon.
3. Puffiness in the area of ​​symphysis is formed.
4. If you click on the pubic area with your hand, you can hear a dull click.
5. A pregnant woman is not able to raise her legs while lying down.
6. Unpleasant sensations during urination.
7. The appearance of a duck gait, which is characterized by small steps.

Considering why a pregnant woman has a pubic bone, you should pay attention to the fact that not all women are affected by this pathology. However, there are some criteria by which the disease selects a victim. The following processes play an important role for the development of the disease:

1. After 5 months of pregnancy, the female hormone relaxin is produced in large quantities in the female body. It is necessary for all women to prepare the body for childbirth. Thanks to this hormone, the bosom begins to lose rigidity, while becoming supple so that the pelvic bones can increase during childbirth. However, this significantly reduces resistance to other loads. That's why the pubic bone hurts during pregnancy.
2. A decrease in the amount of calcium in the female body, which goes to the formation of the musculoskeletal system for the baby. This process provokes the symptoms of degenerative changes in the bones, which is commonly called osteoporosis. If you have a question why the pubic bone hurts after childbirth, then the reason may lie in the insufficient amount of calcium in the body, which should be replenished in the near postpartum time.
3. Intrauterine disorders during the formation of the pubic joint, as well as in the children's period.

Diseases that cause pubic pain

We continue to consider why the pubic bone hurts, the treatment of this disease. Women face pain in the pubic area due to existing diseases, which should include:

1. Urethritis, cystitis.
2. Stones in the bladder.
3. Thrombophlebitis localized in the pelvic region.
4. Pinched inguinal hernia.
5. Osteomyelitis.
6. Sciatica.
7. The formation of a malignant tumor.
8. Hernia or osteochondrosis of the lower spine.
9. Various post-traumatic effects.

You should also pay attention to the fact that some of the fair sex are owners of a saber-shaped flat pubis. The problem is that the strap, which is about 3 fingers wide, almost half covers the vagina, which negatively affects sexual life. Soreness occurs when a member presses on the periosteum, presses the urethra to the edge of the pubis. For help in this case, you need to contact a traumatologist or gynecologist.

With menstruation

And why with menstruation does the pubic bone hurt? Representatives of the fair sex during menstruation very often have pulling discomfort, localized in the pubic area. The spasm from the groin begins to give in the back, and this can be explained by the expansion of the uterine canal. That is why pain in the pubic area occurs in parallel.

Treatment methods

So, we figured out why the pubic bone hurts. Treatment methods will depend on the cause of this symptom. To evaluate how greatly both pubic bones have expanded, possibly using ultrasound results. Only after it is clarified by a specialist why the pubic bone is sore, the diagnosis will not take long and it will be possible to determine the methods of therapy. The method of treatment usually depends on the degree of bone discrepancy. Let's consider them separately:

1. First degree. If the bones have spread up to 10 mm, then regular use of calcium is prescribed for therapy, reduction of physical exertion, sleep on mattresses with an orthopedic base, nutrition, in the diet of which there are salads, legumes, dairy products. Also, do not provoke soreness. We must try to avoid the position of the body, during which these unpleasant sensations appear.
2. Second degree. In this case, the discrepancy is more than 10 mm. It is necessary to use a special corset or bandage during therapy. Thanks to this, it will be possible to strengthen the pelvic muscles, as well as reduce soreness. It should be noted that in such a situation, natural birth will be a contraindication for a pregnant woman.

If the pain syndrome is very strong, then experts prescribe anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs.

Exercises

At any stage of pubic bone discrepancy, the specialist recommends performing some gymnastic exercises. They are necessary in order to strengthen the muscles of the pelvis, while they are very simple. Consider what movements to do if you have a divergence of the pubic bones, which causes severe pain in this area:

1. First of all, you need to lie on your back, bend your legs at the knees, pull the heels to the buttocks. After this, knees should be bent in different directions, slowly fixed in this position for 20 seconds and return to the starting position.
2. Lie on your back on a hard surface, raise the basin about 5 cm above the floor. It is necessary to stay in this position for 10-20 seconds. The heels during this exercise should be located 30 cm from the body.
3. Next, you need to perform an exercise called "Cat". For this, a woman gets on all fours, her back is straight. Then the back slowly arches, the head rises. When performing this exercise, the muscles of the thighs of the abdomen work.

It is important to note that when performing such gymnastics, it is imperative to monitor your feelings. If there is pain, then all exercises should be stopped immediately.

How to get rid of pain?

If the bones during pregnancy diverge naturally, then therapy is not carried out. As a rule, after childbirth, the ligaments return to their original position. A specialist for this period may recommend a woman to take medicines, for example, No-shpu or Menovazin. When a woman lies in a hospital under the supervision of doctors in the last two weeks of pregnancy, pain can be controlled with anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs. For this, patients are prescribed the drug "Paracetamol" or "Ibuprofen." When the pain appeared at 32 weeks of gestation, as well as after the birth of the baby, the woman is prescribed the use of antibiotics, as well as ultraviolet radiation, in order to avoid the formation of an inflammatory process.

Gels and ointments are of great importance in therapy, since after application to the skin they do not enter the systemic circulation. If pain is the most severe, then after giving birth a specialist can prescribe opioid pain medications to the patient, which should include Fentanyl. Epidural anesthesia can also be used for these purposes.

Other treatments

As for the recipes of traditional medicine, for the treatment of soreness arising from the discrepancy of the pubic bones, they will be powerless. The effectiveness of home methods is very low. The main emphasis is on the use of calcium in large quantities. A very popular recipe is a combination of sesame seeds with goat cheese and honey.

To reduce the pain, you can use Corvalol, which is applied to the pubic area. Manual therapy is a very common treatment. This method gently affects the femoral and pelvic muscles. In some cases, the specialist may also recommend the following methods of therapy:

1. Acupuncture helps to get rid of painful sensations not only for the fairer sex, but also for men. This effective method is virtually painless.
2. Visit to a chiropractor or osteopath.
3. Drainage if purulent symphysitis has been diagnosed.
4. Glucocorticoid injections, if the cause is osteoperiostitis.

It is important to note that any alternative treatments should not be a substitute for basic therapy.

Prevention

There are no special methods created to avoid the development of symphysitis. However, women who have a history of this pathology or some abnormal pelvic structure are advised to adhere to the following rules:

1. Before becoming pregnant, it is necessary to get rid of excess body weight, if any.
2. Eat well, in the diet must include nuts, meat, fish, cheese, milk, cottage cheese, greens.
3. For prevention, at the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy, take B vitamins, as well as calcium.
4. If there are painful sensations in the pubic area, you should immediately inform your specialist about this symptom without taking any pain medication on your own.
5. In addition, women who are expecting a baby are advised to stay outdoors longer and take sun baths. Due to this, vitamin D is produced in the body. This advice is especially relevant for those women who live in the northern regions.
6. Reduce excessive physical exertion, walk less and climb stairs.
7. Visit your gynecologist regularly.
8. Perform exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the pelvis, go swimming.

Possible consequences

If the patient does not receive the necessary treatment or pulls with an appeal to a specialist for help, then a divergence of the pubic bones can provoke severe pain, which will appear even in the case of the slightest movement. Sometimes this causes a complete loss of mobility.

The most serious complication is rupture of the symphysis. In most cases, this is observed in the last week of pregnancy, when the baby goes directly into the small pelvis with the head and presses on the weak and inflamed ligaments. In the event of such a gap, a woman begins to experience severe pain shock.

If the discrepancy of the pubic bones will be more than 2 cm, then therapy should be carried out only surgically. In the future, a long recovery will be required, as well as the help of rehabilitologists. As a rule, after such a pregnancy is not recommended for women, otherwise a relapse may develop.