Today we bring you another guest post from our friends from Mummys Physio, where physiotherapist Marilyne Lopez shares some useful advice for women in pain during and after pregnancy.
Some women can find themselves ‘stuck’ after hovering or by simply getting up from a chair. This intense pain travels along the leg and therefore some think this could be related to sciatica.
During pregnancy, sometimes as soon as the first semester and until right after giving birth, twinge and pinch like pains can be felt in the back.
The pelvis is painful and the pain can only be felt from one side and from the buttock to the tight or from the hip to the lower abdomen. This very much look like a sciatica except that the pain is not felt all the way to the feet and is not constant as a change of posture can relieve it.
Where is the pain coming from?
Unlike sciatica where only vertebral pinching or inflammation cause the pain, it is a wide range of factors that can affect the sacroiliac region, some are directly attributable to pregnancy, and it is those that are responsible for the pain. The sacroiliac region is located at the junction of the spine and pelvis. In some women, the region is clearly identified externally by two dimples in the lower back. Nerves are very close to the sacroiliac joints and can be trapped in these places which is manifested by a powerful radiating pain.
What are the factors?
The main factor is an hyperlaxity caused by pregnancy hormones (relaxin andestrogen) that will lead to joint instability at the sacroiliac region and the symphysis pubis (which is at the meeting of the front pelvic bones). Another factor may come from a change in the centre of gravity, accompanied by a postural change due to weight gain. This can cause a strain on the sacroiliac joints. Finally, there are natural predispositions (pronounced instep, innate hyperlaxity..) or accidental (fall, public accidents…) which would influence the severity of the pain. Due to these factors, the joints of the pelvis become too mobile and move improperly creating muscle tension around the area and may cause inflammation. Close nerves are then compressed between strains and inflammations manifesting acute radiating pain.
What are the treatments?
Depending on the severity, there are three types of treatments.
In the simplest cases, such as a hyperflexibility, learning how to ‘lock’ the pelvis is key to the treatment. Muscles are used to ‘block’ and strengthen the pelvis. We relearn how to move, how to turn around by ‘block’, how to not pull your back nor pushing in your stomach to avoid wrong movements.
Some easy and straightforward exercises to do at home allow to loosen up and therefore relieve the pain.
A restraining belt of the basin can also help keep the pelvic stability during daily activities.
In the event that the basin remains in a twisted position , through excessive movement or after delivery, and the dimples are then more horizontal, osteopathic techniques can then return the Basin in place and relieve pain. Know that all osteopaths do not work with pregnant women, but some have made it their specialty and will relieve you during pregnancy.
In very rare cases where the pelvic bone is very unstable (often after an accident), strict rest is recommended . After pregnancy, it may sometimes be necessary to resort to surgery to stabilize the pelvis.
If you feel any of these pains, during or after your pregnancy, you can make an appointment with our specialised physiotherapist who will do a complete assessment and a targeted rehabilitation in order to relieve your pain.
The treatment can be done during or after pregnancy.
For more information or to make an appointment, you can call on 07748647355 or visit
Marilyne Lopez, Chartered physiotherapist at Mummy’s Physio
