Maternity Physio and Pelvic Health

Pelvic Girdle Pain in Pregnancy-what you can do

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Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP), or sometimes called SPD or sacroiliac pain, is a very common condition during pregnancy. The symptoms can include pain in the groin, pubic bone, bum or lower back. It is usually worse on one side and felt when walking, dressing and turning in bed. It can become REALLY painful and restrict your mobility. The cause is varied, there are several changes to posture as pregnancy progresses, there is also the extra weight for pelvis to deal with. Usually the way we stand involves some asymmetry (for those of you who like to stand on 1 leg when chatting and drop a hip:). Pregnancy hormones which soften ligaments may play a role but not as much as previously thought.. All of these factors can lead to a mal-alignment within the pelvis which can cause an uneven strain and pain. Plus all of the changes that are involved in being pregnant happen within such a short period of time,  the pelvis complains! But, don`t stress, its just your body`s way of telling you that things are slightly out of balance and the good news is recovery rate is really high when treated with manual therapy. A Physiotherapist can assess your pelvis and make the adjustments required. There are also some things you can do to keep your pelvis stable. Stand on 2 feet! Try sitting on a nice high chair or gym ball, you can gently squeeze a ball or thick cushion between your knees on and off. Don’t forget to use your muscles during the day, practice tightening your bum muscles or zipping up your pelvic floor gently when you need to change position or get up from a chair. Gently stretching and massaging  your inner thigh muscles when lying, it should feel like a nice stretch in the muscle, not pain in the pubic bone.

It is good to catch this one early as it tends to linger.  So, if the pain persists after trying the above, it means you need a manual adjustment to the pelvis so it is realigned and ready to rock! So don’t struggle, get it sorted!

07709537069 or info@maternityphysio.co.uk

you may also be interested in a similar article

Pelvis out of balance-4 things that can lead to pelvic girdle pain

further advice on how to cope with PGP is available on www.pelvicpartnership.org

please be aware that the information within this article is general and no substitute for medical advice.