Pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy

Introduction

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) affects around one-in-five pregnant women. Traditionally, PGP was viewed as a hormonal problem, untreatable during pregnancy and exacerbated by the weight of the baby. Customary advice was for rest, support belts and to await recovery following the baby's birth, resulting in ongoing pain and disability. Recent research shows that the cause is biomechanical, due to an asymmetry of the pelvic joints and not due to pregnancy hormones. Manual therapy effectively realigns and restores symmetry of movement in the pelvic joints at any stage during or after pregnancy.

Learning aims and objectives

After completing this module you will know how to:

• Identify PGP during or after pregnancy
• Understand the causes of PGP and how it can be managed and treated
• Understand how PGP affects women physically and emotionally
• Support birth planning for a woman with PGP
• Explore resources available to manage, treat and support – locally and further afield – and refer onward to other health professionals appropriately

Keywords

Pelvic girdle pain, PGP, manual therapy, pelvic joint alignment, physical and psychological impact of PGP