Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is common during pregnancy and can rear its ugly head at any time. PGP is pain that presents anywhere in the pelvic area which goes from the pubic bone at the front around to the lower bum creases at the back and up to the lower back at the height of the iliac crests which are the bones you can rest your hands on at your waist.
Historically it was named symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) but this has since been dropped due to the difficulty in diagnosing SPD, as it can only be diagnosed via X Ray which unless very necessary will not be carried out during pregnancy due to foetal radiation exposure.
So now the common term is PGP and this includes any pain in the region of the pelvis during pregnancy.
Round Ligament pain
It’s quite common in early and later stages to have groin pain which is thought to be the sensation of the round ligament stretching as the uterus moves up and out of the pelvis. The round ligament is the ligament that attaches and pulls the front of the uterus down giving it that forward lean. The round ligament attaches to the labia majora and so often the discomfort is felt very deep in the groin.
Other pain areas can include:
Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) - at the very lower back in the dimples and radiating around the sides
Sciatica - commonly in the middle of the butt cheek and down the back of the leg
Pubic bone - at the front and what would’ve been called SPD
Coccyx - tailbone
There are so many reasons why someone may experience PGP as not only are the pain presentations so vast, as are the variables in someone's life who is experiencing it. There is also so much happening in the body all at one time with hormones, muscles, ligaments, a change in centre of gravity, and also a general lack of stability coming from the foot.
The immune system also changes to allow the body to be pregnant and so this has to be taken into consideration as pain and inflammation are immune responses and with so much happening in the area it’s an easy target for the brain to say “Hey, somethings not right here, STOP!” And pain certainly makes you do that.
If you do happen to experience any pain in your pelvis during your pregnancy then have no fear as there are many things that can be done to help and a specialist pelvic health physiotherapist is the best person for this. Physiotherapy can help with hands on muscle release to help relieve the pain. Acupuncture also works really well in this presentation too. Movement and breathing techniques work to try and calm the nervous system. And there are support belts that can be explored should they be needed.
Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you have to experience pain so please book in as soon as you start to notice anything not right so that you can enjoy your pregnancy pain free.
DON’T JUST LIVE WITH IT
Book in for a Pelvic Health Initial Consultation & Treatment with Sarah