Pregnancy-Related Pain & Pelvic Girdle Pain

Pelvic Girdle Pain treatment Warwick (PGP) SPD and back pain treatment during pregnancy Leamington Spa

Pregnancy is one of the most significant changes a woman’s body goes through. As well as her body’s shape altering dramatically, there are also physiological changes. For instance, increased hormones causing ligaments to loosen. These combined factors lead to postural changes and altered joint and muscle biomechanics. As a result, pregnant women often experience:

Pregnant women most commonly present at our Warwick osteopathy clinic with lower back or pelvic girdle pain.

What is Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain?

Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) describes pain or discomfort in one or more of the following areas: hips, groin, inner thigh, buttocks, lower back and pubic symphisis at the front of the pelvis. This can feel like a dull ache, a sharp stabbing pain or something in between.

Symptoms are usually caused by an imbalance between the three pelvic joints – the two sacroiliac joints at the back of the pelvis and the pubic symphisis at the front. For example if one joint is restricted, the other two joints may have to compensate with increased loading. This causes local muscles to tighten, further exacerbating any imbalance.

PGP causes everyday activities painful. These include walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of the car, putting underwear or trousers on and turning over in bed. At a time of huge change where women want to feel strong, capable and resilient, these limitations can greatly affect confidence and mood.

Around 50% of women experience PGP during pregnancy. It is most common in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, although it can start earlier in the first trimester. Without proper management, it has a tendency to worsen as the pregnancy progresses due to the increase in weight and loading around the pelvis.

Pregnancy-related Pain & Pelvic Girdle Pain Treatment – Warwick & Leamington Spa

Osteopathy provides safe, gentle hands-on treatment which can alleviate pain, helping the body to adapt more comfortably to changes experienced during pregnancy. In addition, regular osteopathic treatment leading up to labour, is a good way to help the body cope with, and recover from the physical and psychological challenges ahead.

Feel Better Osteopathy osteopath, Emma Lipson features on the Pelvic Partnership’s Recommended Practitioner list in recognition of her successful treatment of pelvic girdle pain.

“I found Emma through the Pelvic Partnership website, about half way through my pregnancy, and am so grateful I did. I’m a long time sufferer of lower back and knee pain and had started to struggle sleeping as a result of the increased pain during my pregnancy. Despite my midwife saying back pain and pelvic girdle pain was ‘just one of those things’ I had to deal with during pregnancy, after visiting Emma regularly and following her guidance between visits, even when 40 weeks pregnant my pain was still significantly less than when I first visited. The difference was incredible and with such gentle treatment, it was almost like magic!  I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Emma to anyone suffering with aches and pains during pregnancy” R.T.

Will Pelvic Girdle Pain go away after Pregnancy?

For the majority of women, PGP symptoms will resolve spontaneously wihin the 3 months after delivery. For around 30% of women, pelvic girdle pain persists. Evidence has shown that the following factors increase the risk of PGP continuing after the birth in women who have not received any manual therapy treatment:

  • Being overweight before getting pregnant
  • Previous history of low back pain before pregnancy
  • Depression during pregnancy
  • A heavy manual workload in pregnancy

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