The agony

Pregnancy is a very painful process for the woman in question. She has to undergo a very difficult period during and after the pregnancy. Her body is undergoing many changes and adapting itself to the life growing inside her. One of the problems that she faces is pelvic girdle pain which can cause extreme discomfort.

Changing body parts

During pregnancy the female body undergoes many fundamental changes. Some of these changes lead to the release of a hormone called ‘relaxin.’ Relaxin causes relaxation of soft tissue such as ligaments in preparation for the impending childbirth. Such changes are in most circumstances beneficial to the pregnant lady. However, in some instances women tend to develop low back and pelvic girdle pain. The pelvic girdle is supported by several ligaments and muscles. These are fibres in the human body that are essential for body part movement. The lower back also has intervertebral discs which act as semi-flexible spacing structures for the back. These structures have to carry extra load due the increasing weight of the expectant mother. They also have to change posture as the foetus grows. The pelvic girdle has a tendency to tilt forward placing extra strain on the low back curvature. The pelvic ligaments holding the sacrum to the ilium and binding the pubic bones at the front can be strained. This might result in the ilium shifting on the sacrum which can cause significant pain. Women sometimes experience difficulty in bearing weight through one leg. Such pain can be associated with altered muscle tension as well as weakness creating lack of co-ordination around the hip-pelvis-back regions. However it is not that this problem has no possible cure and the woman is left to suffer in damnation.

Physiotherapy to the rescue

There are several medical processes which are trying to make this situation better for pregnant women. Certain amount of pain seems to be inevitable. Physiotherapy is trying to provide succour to pregnant women. Physiotherapy tries to addresses such problems by undertaking a comprehensive assessment to ascertain the mechanisms of pain and movement impairment. The particular structures of the back, pelvis and hip are assessed medically for their ability to rotate and glide. The muscles are assessed to evaluate their strength. They could be excessively tight due to spasms or excessively weak due to reflexogenic pain mechanisms. Muscles of most importance are the pelvic floor, the deep low abdominal muscles, the deep hip flexors and the hip rotators. The back extensors and side benders are also checked for their postural reflex integrity. The knees and feet are also assessed for their alignment. In some instances orthotics is prescribed. It is too early to say whether women will be completely rid of this pain. However medical science is trying hard to alleviate their condition during the delicate period of pregnancy.