Pregnancy Pains
Are you pregnant and very excited, but at the same time dealing with back and/or pelvic pain so unable to enjoy it as much as you would like? Have you been told you have to "live with the pain" until you have the baby, or "don't worry, it's all part of being pregnant". Well, think again. Help and treatment is at hand.
There are varying degrees of back pain in pregnancy. Your back may just be a little bit stiff and achy as a result of the increase in weight and change in posture of your body. Often this can be rectified using mobilisation techniques, and some exercises specific to your problem.
However, you could also be suffering from Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP), also known as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). This can take different levels of severity, sometimes resulting in having to use crutches, or even in very severe cases needing a wheelchair. If such a problem is caught early, Physiotherapeutic treatment can make a tremendous difference in improving the pain, and often relieving it completely although this does depend on a number of factors.
What is SPD or PGP?
The pelvis is the largest bony part of the skeleton, made of 2 halves connected at the front by a fibro-cartiliginous joint called the symphysis pubis (SP). During normal conditions very little movement occurs at this joint but the pregnancy hormone relaxin softens the ligaments of the SP at the front of your pelvis, and the sacro-iliac joints (SIJ) at the back of the pelvis in order to facilitate the passage of your baby during labour. As a result there is a greater laxity of these joints during pregnancy and for up to 3 months after pregnancy.
Symptoms
This laxity, paired with a biomechanical hip and/or lower back problem, can often give rise to pain and symptoms in one or all three of the afore-mentioned joints. The pain may also travel down the inside of your thighs or between your legs.
Other possible symptoms include:
- Pain when rolling over in bed
- A waddling gait
- Unable to stand on one leg
- Clicking or grinding in pubic area or around the SIJ
- Difficulty lifing or opening leg
- Diificulty getting into or out of car, and struggling to get from sitting to standing.
What does treatment involve?
Your physiotherapist will conduct a full assessment of your signs and symptoms and your patterns of movement. She will determine if your pelvis is out of alignment and then perform gentle and safe mobilisation techniques to re-align any abnormalities. Advice and self-help tips according to your condition will also be given. In some cases acupuncture may be used.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to phone us before you book an appointment.
