Pelvic Girdle Pain

PELVIC GIRDLE PAIN… is no laughing matter!
Having experienced it in both of my pregnancies, relatively mildly, I know what a pain it can literally be! I haven’t posted about it in a while and did a fab course on it recently so wanted to revisit this important topic and summarise some key points.

So what do we know:
❤ It is pain felt around the pelvis during pregnancy, front or back.
❤It is no longer called symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD)
❤Impacts around 1 in 4 women-however some studies have shown a higher prevalence
❤Limits womens function
❤Highly linked to mental health
❤Relaxin is NOT to blame for the pain, yes it does impact joints but it is not the cause of pain
❤Current understanding is that hormones do have a place in the picture…but not as we have originally thought
❤Your pelvis IS stable – very stable in fact
❤Early support and intervention is key
❤It IS treatable
❤We must consider the emotional and psychological impact of PGP
❤This is not saying it is all in your head…no no no..this is saying that it is related to your head though. The brain is part of our experience of pain and therefore not to acknowledge its place in the picture misses a key part of the story.
❤The language used around PGP is very important
❤It is NOT a pelvic stability issue…studies have proven that core stability and pelvic floor exercises don’t actually help how we had thought they would.
❤ Movement is good though, just doesn’t need a totally focus on core stability exercises
❤The quality around research belts is poor, however for some women they do help
❤Birth trauma can play a part in the picture, especially second, third etc pregnancies
❤The emotional impact of PGP needs addressing and supporting as a foundational part of treatment

So these are just some highlights and I know probably throw up some questions…but what is foundational to ALL of this, is that there IS help, and seeking help early is best. Don’t settle for ‘this is just how it is?’ As physios, we need to ensure we are spreading the right message and being aware of our language as well.