Pelvic Girdle Pain

Pain- Don’t suffer with it- cure it!

Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) can be a debilitating condition for 1 in 5 pregnant women and is often assumed to be an accepted normality of child-bearing. It can refer to anything from mild discomfort to crippling seizures through the lower back and hips. The historic advice for women suffering PGP in any trimester has been to ‘rest for you and the baby’ and ‘put your feet up’. But this is far from what you should be doing!

Current evidence shows that active immediate management through specialist physiotherapist treatment and a specific exercise regime may relieve all symptoms at any stage of pregnancy or after delivery. This is especially important as unattended PGP often leads to a more traumatic birthing experience and then can then cause further muscular-skeletal set-backs after delivery and pain even two years later.

Scientists have proven, contrary to popular belief, that hormonal change is not the cause of PGP. A misalignment of bones or over-active muscle groups pulling on the joints is the problem. So if you have had prior accidents or injuries, you are more likely to be a PGP sufferer. This may even be a shoulder injury which has found its way down to the lower back via related muscle actions.

The best way to deal with PGP is to address your body’s imbalances head-on and immediately. A specialist physiotherapist will first be able to work with your passive system (manually realign the joints) and then certified pregnancy/postnatal instructors can help with correct exercise to strengthen your active system. A Pilates reformer and tower machine is one of the best rehabilitation tools for PGP as it works the body multi-directionally, strengthening and lengthening all major muscles groups in a steady and controlled manner. Plus it incorporates varied resistance and neural challenges.

Your steps to beat PGP are:

1. Get a PGP diagnosis from your doctor- there are certain other spinal or pelvic problems that must be excluded first. (And while you are at it, get some pain relief as pain prevents your muscles working properly in the first place!)

2. See a specialist physiotherapist to get your pelvis realigned. Clare Woodward is a sports and spinal specialist in Tewkesbury and spokesperson and lecturer for the Pelvic Partnership. 07775 806598.

3. Retrain your muscles to hold your body in perfect alignment. Come and work on the reformers in Specialist Pilates' private studio. Baby can attend in car seat too.

Remember all this can be done in any stage of pregnancy or even years after birth!