Pelvic Girdle Pain

Many women who have been pregnant are familiar with aches and pains that can accompany this time in their life; however, some women experience more debilitating symptoms, this can be pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy. How do you tell the difference?  

What is pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy? 

During pregnancy, a women’s body undergoes many physical changes. Increased weight gain and breast size, postural changes, increase in circulating blood volume, swollen hands and feet, abdominal muscle separation and changes to breathing mechanics to name but a few!

Many of these changes are mediated by hormones that your body releases when you become pregnant. These hormones enable your body to support the pregnancy and your growing baby as well as prepare it for labour and birth. Previously known as symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), pelvic girdle pain is thought to be caused by the effect of these hormones on your pelvis and low back as well as the physical and postural changes your body undergoes. 

What should I look out for?

Classic symptoms of pelvic girdle pain are pain felt over your pubic bone, hips, low back and even groin. Sometimes this pain can refer into the buttocks or outer thighs.  Often it is worse as the day progresses and with increased weight bearing activities such as standing, walking and climbing stairs however, it can also be exacerbated with periods of long sitting. If you ever feel any abdominal pain, numbness in your saddle region around your perineum, disturbance to your bladder or bowels that is unusual for you - make sure you raise this urgently with your midwife or doctor as this can be a separate issue that may need investigating by a medical professional.

Often it is worse as the day progresses and with increased weight bearing activities such as standing, walking and climbing stairs  

If left untreated, pelvic girdle pain can worsen as your pregnancy progresses. The good news is, pelvic girdle pain is often very treatable and responds well to the right advice, activity modification, exercise and hands on therapy. 

What can I do to help? 

It’s really important to try and identify your aggravating factors so you can keep them to a minimum. Try to avoid staying in one position for too long, crossing your legs or standing on one leg. Aim to maintain symmetry between the left and right sides of your body. Try to keep fit but avoid high impact exercise; swimming, walking, pregnancy yoga and light strength training are ideal so long as they don’t aggravate your specific symptoms. 

Pelvic girdle pain is often very treatable and responds well to the right advice, activity modification, exercise and hands on therapy.  

Maintaining and building strength in your pelvic floor, deep core and muscles around your hips and pelvis can help. Your physiotherapist will be able to give you specific details on the correct exercises for you. Support belts can be helpful in the right circumstances, although fitting and advice is really important to ensure you’re using one that is right for your symptoms - there are a lot out there and some are much better than others in pregnancy. 

A skilled assessment by a pelvic health physiotherapist will be able to determine if you are experiencing pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy and develop a suitable treatment programme that may include hands on manual therapy, exercises and advice as well as provision of a support belt if it’s indicated. For the vast majority of women with pelvic girdle pain, their symptoms will resolve within 12 weeks of giving birth. If it doesn’t or if pain has been brought on my your delivery itself, this is time to check in with your physiotherapist for a postnatal evaluation. 

For the vast majority of women with pelvic girdle pain, their symptoms will resolve within 12 weeks of giving birth. 

A pelvic health physiotherapist is trained to to evaluate your symptoms and provide you with the correct, bespoke treatment for your situation, helping you to stay active and enjoy your pregnancy. 

Bethany offers pelvic health physiotherapy appointments at InForm Physiotherapy in Silverstream on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Contact reception for details and bookings on 04 527 4155.