Pelvic girdle pain has been described as a collection of signs and symptoms of discomfort and pain in the pelvis and lower back (lumbopelvic) area, including musculoskeletal pain radiating to the upper thighs and perineum.
It includes pubic pain - previously called symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). PGP includes pain anywhere from the lower back down to the thigh, either at the front or back . The pain may range from a mild ache to severe pain that limits your daily activities.
PGP is usually caused by the joints moving unevenly, which can lead to the pelvic girdle becoming less stable and therefore painful. As your baby grows in the womb, the extra weight and the change in the way you sit or stand will put more strain on your pelvis.
It can start as early as the 1st trimester but typically presents towards the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Women will complain that the following tasks aggravate their symptoms: Turning over in bed. The first few steps in the morning.
In most cases, the PGP/SPD goes away after your little one is born, although in rare cases it can continue even after giving birth.
Take shorter steps, slow down the pace and try and walk without waddling. The waddling walk puts a lot of pressure through 1 leg and then the other as you waddle. If you can walk more smoothly it tends not to aggravate your pain. Walking with a good posture can be very helpful.
Red flags including bowel or bladder disturbance, lower limb weakness or persistent sensory change or systemic illness may also prompt further investigations.
Share on Pinterest Pelvic pain may be a sign of the baby dropping. A woman's pregnancy bump may look like it is sitting lower when the baby drops. As the baby drops into the pelvis, the pressure in this area may increase. This may cause a woman to feel like she is waddling when she walks.
As a functional test, the active straight leg raise (ASLR) test is recommended. Mobility (palpation) tests, X-rays, CT, scintigraphy, diagnostic injections and diagnostic external pelvic fixation are not recommended. MRI may be used to exclude ankylosing spondylitis and in the case of positive red flags.
How to Lay with Pelvic Girdle Pain. If you're experiencing pelvic girdle pain, lay in a comfortable side-lying position. Place a pillow between your knees and another under your abdomen for added support.
For women with severe PGP with a significant impact on the quality of life, early induction of labour is offered sometimes. Very rarely the PGP is so severe that a comfortable position at birth cannot be achieved or maintained. Elective (planned) Caesarean Section is necessary in such cases.
Sleeping. It might be comfortable to lie on your side with a pillow between your knees. As your pregnancy progresses, try placing an extra pillow or rolled up towel under your bump. This places less strain on your hips and lower back.
PGP is also known as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD); a condition which affects the pelvic joints, making them stiff so that they stop working normally. It can occur at any stage of pregnancy, or during childbirth, and may come on suddenly, or start gradually.
Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is pain which is felt around the pelvic joints, lower back, hips and thighs. Around 1 in 4 pregnant women experience PGP. It can vary from mild to severe. The symptoms can be different for each person.
Pain is not limited to a particular trimester during pregnancy but is often experienced throughout pregnancy and postpartum; however, the onset is usually at 14–30 weeks gestation.
It's estimated that PGP affects up to 1 in 5 pregnant women to some degree. It's not known exactly why pelvic pain affects some women, but it's thought to be linked to a number of issues, including previous damage to the pelvis, pelvic joints moving unevenly, and the weight or position of the baby.
Labour and birth
Most women with PGP can have a normal vaginal birth. Many women worry that the pain will be worse if they go through labour. This is not usually the case when good care is taken to protect the pelvic joints from further strain or trauma.
In the case of PGP, many women find it is worse at night. This can often be due to the fact that your buttock muscles, which are the main stabilisers for your pelvis, are not very active at night-time as they are in a resting position. You have overdone it during the day without enough support around the pelvis.
White says that worsening or severe pelvic pain during pregnancy warrants a call to your doctor—particularly if it's accompanied by bleeding, nausea, vomiting or painful urination.
So, if we have a look at the anatomy, we have three joints in our pelvis, one at the front - the pubic synthesis, and two at the back - the sacroiliac joints. When any two of these joints become dysfunctional and cause pain, if at the front it's called SPD and if at the back, it's called PGP.
A doctor may recommend this to a pregnant person with risk factors for complications or someone who has other medical complications in the pelvis region. Conditions that may require pelvic rest include full placenta previa, hernias, cervical insufficiency, and pregnancies that have a higher risk for preterm labor.
Anything that involves splaying your legs wide apart. This means avoiding things like breaststroke when swimming, doing wide sumo squats, and taking stairs two at a time. All of these movements put extra strain on your pelvic joints, and extra strain causes extra pain. Anything that involves putting weight on one leg.