Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy
Many pregnant women experience pubic pain. Too often, this pain is dismissed by doctors and midwives as minor, a part of pregnancy to be endured, or even cause for a cesarean section. If your’e experiencing pelvic pain during pregnancy, don’t lose hope! There are things you can do, including getting chiropractic care, to reduce your discomfort and avoid an unnecessary c-section.
The condition behind your pain is known as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). You may also hear it called “pubic shear (an osteopathic term), symphyseal separation, pubic symphysis separation, separated symphysis, pelvic girdle relaxation of pregnancy, and pelvic joint syndrome.” Whatever you call it, the pain is real and doesn’t always go away immediately after your baby is born.
Related: Why Chiropractic Care is Essential in Pregnancy.
Symptoms of SPD vary from person to person but may include:
tenderness and pain near the pubic bone
pain when lifting one leg or separating your legs
the sensation of your pelvic area seizing when you first get out of bed
a clicking or shifting feeling when you walk or move a certain way
round ligament pain
bladder dysfunction
limited range of motion in your hips
If you’re experiencing pelvic pain during pregnancy, consider chiropractic as a treatment option. Chiropractic adjustments can treat the underlying problem of pelvic subluxation and offer you relief.
“The pubic symphysis pain is most likely caused by pelvic subluxation. The pelvis is a ring, so if one of the joints misaligns and is fixated, the others will undergo more and unusual stresses. The production of the hormone relaxin during pregnancy loosens the normally taught ligaments of the sacroiliac joints, allowing them to subluxate more easily and more frequently.”
Chiropractic care to realign your soft tissue and pelvic girdle may be the best course of action for resolving pelvic pain during pregnancy due to SPD, but these are other approaches you can take to address lingering pelvic and lower back discomfort. From the article, Pelvic Pain: Symphysis, Pubis, Dysfunction:
Use a pillow between your legs or under your “bump” (pregnancy tummy) when sleeping—body pillows are a great investment!
Try to keep your legs and hips as parallel as possible when moving or turning in bed
Some women also find it helpful to have their partners stabilize their hips and hold them “together” when rolling over in bed or otherwise adjusting position
Some women report a waterbed mattress to be helpful
Swimming may help relieve pressure on the joint
Deep water aerobics or deep water running may be helpful as well
Keep your legs close together and move symmetrically
When standing, stand symmetrically, with your weight evenly distributed through both legs
Sit down to get dressed, especially when putting on underwear or pants
Avoid “straddle” movements
Swing your legs together as a unit when getting in and out of cars; use something smooth and slippery (like a garbage bag) on the car seat to help you enter car backwards and then turn your legs as a unit
An ice pack may feel soothing and help reduce inflammation in the pubic area
Move slowly and without sudden movements
If sex is uncomfortable for you, use lots of pillows under your knees, or try other positions
If bending over to pick up objects is difficult, there are devices available that can help with this
Some women report that pelvic binders or maternity support belts are helpful for pelvic pain; brands in the US include Prenatal Cradle, BabyHugger, and the Reenie Belt. However, if the pelvic bones are really misaligned, some women report more pain with these. Listen to your body on whether to use these.
Read the full article, Pelvic Pain: Symphysis, Pubis, Dysfunction, in Pathways to Family Wellness, issue #16.