Sore achy hips/sacroiliac joint: osteopath or chiropractor?

[rumtumtugger]

I'm 16 weeks with dc2 and have horrendously sore hips, to the point where I can't pick up dd. It's mainly on my left side, as I have been trying to sleep on that side as recommended, but that means my hips get compressed all night with the weight of my body on that point.
I'm trying to get seen via dh's medical insurance but should I ask the dr for a referral letter for an osteopath or a chiropractor??

[poozlepants]

I saw an osteopath after suffering something similar between 16 and 20 weeks. 2 sessions and I was pretty much cured until about 36 weeks. I did see one that specialised in pregnant women.

[Guntie]

I can't help with your actual question but I had the same problem from 16 weeks onwards and bought a memory foam matress topper from John Lewis. I think it was £180 and it was worth its weight in gold. I was amazed at the difference it made. My hip pain has virtually gone and I sleep so well now (on my left hand side all night too). I would highly, highly recommend investing in one!

[ButteryJam]

I saw an osteopath also somewhere around 20 weeks and he did work magic and fixed me. Thankfully it hasn't come back at 33 weeks and that £30 was so worth it!

[Woodifer]

I think either if they are good.

Google/ search on here pelvic girdle pain (PGP)..

If you have a spare duvet sleep with it doubled up on your side of bed. Don't worry about trying to sleep on one side and use both (if you can turn over ok). Sleep with a pillow between your legs/knees.

Follow these do's and don'ts

www.serola.net/Serola-Theory/dr-serolas-dos-and-donts.html

[rumtumtugger]

Thanks. I have a dream genii pillow and started using it yesterday but tbh I think it has made the problem worse as it doesn't allow me to roll onto my back (or change sides) without waking up. Ill look into your suggestions.

[redwellybluewelly]

Women's health physiotherapist

Our hospital sees you within a week, went first pregnancy early on and was realigned and theb went today with what I thought was PGP but transpired it was a problem with my sacrum

[redwellybluewelly]

Stupid phone.

Ask your MW for the number

[Guntie]

rum i couldnt use the dream genni for the reasons you said... I swear by the mattress though!

[rumtumtugger]

Guntie - I have realised our mattress itself is Tempur memory foam (it feels like a cuddle crossed with a massage every night!) but it's not helping me with this particular issue :(

red - Our physio department is horribly overstretched (lol) - in my last pregnancy I asked for an appointment at 16 weeks, and finally received one at 33 weeks . I don't want to wait that long again so am going to try and get it sorted on dh's work health insurance asap.

I will definitely look into a pregnancy-specialist osteopath, but I still don't know what a chiropractor does that's any different!

[redwellybluewelly]

Our usual physiotherapy department is as you describe yours, but there is a dedicated womens health team. Possibly the only effective team in our hospital!

Hope you have an answer soon

[ICompletelyKnowAboutGuineaPigs]

I've seen a chiropractor in this pregnancy and my last pregnancy for different things and both times they've worked miracles! With DC2 I had horrendous pelvic pain & ended up on crutches unable to do much. I was practically pain free after only a few sessions with a chiropractor. Thus time I've been with rib and diaghragm pain and, again, after a couple of sessions feel like a new person.

I think on a practical level the sorts of things that chiropractors and osteopaths actually do can be fairly similar. My understanding is that the focus of chiropractic is on the way the musculo-skeletal system impacts upon the nervous system causing pain/disorder and that they use adjustments (gentle in pregnancy) to free any areas that could be causing nerve irritation.

My experience of chiropractic has been excellent and I really recommend it to anyone. Hope you feel better soon.

[Tammytheosteo]

Hi, I'm a bit late joining this thread, hopefully you'll have resolved your problem by now! Just in case you haven't. My perspective as an Osteopath is that, with pregnant ladies, a Chiropractor and an Osteopath are going to use very similar techniques, as we are restricted in terms of ensuring safety and comfort 'Mum'. Most likely, after taking a thorough case history, you will be asked to remove top, keeping bra on, and bottoms, keeping knickers on (waistbands can get in the way when trying to treat the pelvis) the practitioner will then ask you to do certain movements, checking when and where it hurts. Treatment may consist of gently encouraging movement through the joints between the spine and pelvis, and the joint at the front of the pelvis, you may need some soft tissue 'massage' for over tight regions, and you may need some gentle manipulation of the joints if they are slightly out of position. You should be kept informed at all times and permission requested for any manipulations. The register of Osteopaths can be found here if you want to ensure suitably qualified Osteopaths[[www.osteopathy.org]] the Chiropractors will have a register too. Good luck!

[breatheslowly]

I had something like this and an osteopath performed something that seemed like a miracle. I would probably go to a physio if it happened again as a great women's health physio works privately near me. The NHS physio I eventually saw last time just suggested some big tubigrip, but actually a hands on thing worked amazingly.

[bingeddybongo]

I've got the sacroiliac problem, went to a physiotherapist yesterday who worked wonders but one night's sleep and I'm back to square one. The position she told me to sleep in was miraculously comfortable, it's just someone else didn't like it, and every time I lay down and got comfy I got poked*... so I ended up on my side again and can barely walk. Bugger it!!

(*Just to be clear I'm talking about the baby, not my husband.)