10 tips for pelvic girdle pain
Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is characterised by pain around the hips, lower back and pelvis in pregnancy and postpartum. It had been thought in the past that it had to do with the laxity of ligaments in the pelvis, but now we know that it is due to the sensitivity of the tissues and more load placed on them. The pelvis isn't "out of place" or "unstable".
PGP is common, 1 in 5 pregnant women experience it. It is not a sign that something is wrong with the pregnancy and it does not mean that it will get worse throughout the pregnancy. If you are worried about something not feeling right, please check with your doctor or midwife.
Osteopathy has been used to help manage PGP by improving movement around the pelvis, hips and lower back, and calming the muscles down around the area. If one area of the pelvis does not move as well, the other side may take the load.
Here are my top tips:
Try to find where the middle ground is. You don't want to stop moving but you also don't want to do too much. For example, if you have found that walking more than 20 mins is too much, stick to 15-minute walks with breaks, rather than going on 40-minute walk.
When we have pain, we often subconsciously hold the core muscles and the pelvic floor muscles in too tight. I would encourage finding a comfortable seat and practising deep diaphragmatic breaths to relax the core and pelvic floor muscles. This will down-train the muscles in the pelvis to get them to relax.
Movements that are gentle, flowing and incorporate breathing are key. A few of my favourites are pelvic tilts, hula hoops, lateral pelvic tilts, cat-cow, and rocking in child pose.
It's not all about the pelvis. We can store tension anywhere in the body. If you find that the upper back, ribs or jaw are holding tension, that probably isn’t helping. Aim to get the areas higher up moving well so that the pelvis does not have to compensate for movement.
Gentle activation of the muscles can help! Simple squats and knee squeezes (activating the inner thigh muscles) can be useful as the muscle has a chance to lengthen and shorten.
Using a tennis ball against a wall to gently massage the glutes is a great way to self-massage.
Swimming can be helpful.
Strengthening the muscles of the hips and lower body can limit your chances of pelvic girdle pain.
It is very normal to feel anger and frustration. Talk to those closest to you for support.
Pelvic Partnership is a great charity offering support https://pelvicpartnership.org.uk/
Lastly, don’t put off getting help! There are lots of healthcare practitioners out there who are more than happy to help you through this time.
If you would like to know more, please contact me on poojaguriaosteopathy@gmail.com or book in for a consultation
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