Would it be unreasonable of me to throttle the next member of my family to tell me to "walk off" my SPD?

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

I come from a family that subscribes to the "Just walk it off" school of medicine. I know this, and am in agreement to a certain extent.

But...

Why, when I keep explaining just how painful it is to walk or do much of anything, do my parents insist that the reason my SPD is so bad is that I'm not getting enough exercise.

I can see the rationale - more muscle tone in the area means less strain on the ligaments and more support - which is why I do the physio exercises. Walking, however, makes it much worse and can leave me bedridden and in agony if I do too much.

And yet they still go on and on and on about how much better it would be if I'd get out more and rest less!

What can I say to them to make them listen to me?

Is anyone else getting this? Am I in the wrong? Perhaps I should be doing more?

Help.

[bestfriendswithbenefits]

No, honestly, walking is not good if you have SPD! Exercises recommended by the physio, yes continue to do those, but otherwise rest is the best thing you can do, otherwise you will aggravate it and it will become worse or worst case scenario, permanent. Be really careful how you move and what you do. No pushing shopping trollies, hoovering or any other heavy work or lifting.

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

Thank you! I was beginning to think that all the advice I had received was wrong.

I do so love walking, and really miss it. I think my parents are under the impression that I'm just lazy and getting out in the fresh air is what I need

I can't be alone in this can I?

What can I say to convince them?

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

Another 12 weeks or so and getting increasingly hard to move around at the moment. They're very sensible people generally, mum's parents were HV and doctor, but they just seem to have a mental block about SPD. I think part of the problem is that I have my dad's back problems and we both know how much that can be improved by staying supple, but this is not the same. I just want to scream sometimes.

at your mum Riven!

[Lotster]

I was convinced certain friends and family of mine felt the same, it made me feel paranoid and even more miserable. I gave up trying to explain to certain people I wasn't being lazy, when I would in fact have loved to be up and about... some things I think they have to walk a mile in your shoes (pardon the pun) to ever understand. Have you got the SPD booklet? The Pelvic Partnership will send you one if you like It has a great section for family and friends to read to put them straight.

One thing I have found 2nd time around with it though (apart from unbelievably amazing osteopathy which I cannot recommend enough), is that the more I switch chairs and positions, the less weak and stiff I get, especially after I have had a walk somewhere. That horrible sort of stagger you do when the pelvis is really weak and you first get up (nighttime wees anyone?!) is definately worse the longer I sit in one position. My swiss/birth ball is good for keeping an "active" sitting position and helping with this too.

Chin up, hope it goes away quickly for you.

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

Thanks Lotster. I think I might email that link to them so they can hear it from someone else.

You're definitely right about it being worse after sitting still for any length of time. I've just pumped up my birthball, so I think I will give that a go tonight - it really helped in my second pregnancy.

It would be so much easier if I wasn't made to feel like I need to justify myself all the time. They make me feel like I'm making it all up - and I know they're just trying to help.

[Hawkmoth]

Brings back painful memories of walking on a sandy beach with my mother during last pregnancy. She just wanted me to keep active.

Gym ball was all I could do realistically, everything else f*cked me up.

Use harsh language with them, and cry.

[Lotster]

Worst thing is when you can't take an anti-inflammatory when you just know nurofen would be great for it... always feel guilty taking paracetamol which just masks it, and even then it doesn't really work much does it?

I've been taking some natural anti-inflamm's this time, I think they're helping but don't want to be a pill pusher! FSC Ginger Curcumin and Boswellia

[domesticslattern]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO your family do not know what they are talking about. You cann't walk off SPD. It is not like back pain, which seems to be what they are drawing on.

Please do a search on this site for other threads on SPD and start following the advice carefully, otherwise believe me, it can get an awful lot worse before it gets better.



You have my great sympathies BTW- it is horrid. But it does end.

[FrannyandZooey]

my mum rang me every week and said "what is that thing called again? well I've never heard of it...."

oh i must have made it up then

[Lotster]

Oh just found a link to the info for family and friends www.downloads.pelvic-partnership.org.uk/family_friends.pdf

Stick that in their pipes!

[CharleeinChains]

God don't ever 'walk off' SPD! I had it wirh ds2 and i think i cried for the last month of my pregnancy becuase even turning over was aginy, give me child birth any bloody day.

I remember literally crawling into my midwife apt becuae she wouldn't come to my house and she looked at me like this and sighed as if i were pretty pathetic, luckily i was rescued by my friendly gp who sent me to hospital and then arranged a homecare plan.

[xxhunnyxx]

Just found this on the net about SPD, written evidence that walking is NOT benefical!

SPD - SYMPTOMS

Pain and tenderness in the area of the symphysis pubis joint can often be accompanied by pain in the hips, lower abdomen and groin. Sometimes the pain can also manifest itself in the inner thighs and in one or both buttocks. Walking and other activities exacerbate the pain. Standing on one leg can be virtually impossible, so activities that rely on this to some degree will increase the pain. Climbing stairs, getting dressed and getting in and out of cars or the bath all involve the use of one leg at a time. Women can also experience pain while trying to move in bed, lifting things, sitting down and getting up. They may also have pain if they try to spread their legs past a certain point. Sometimes there can be a clicking during hip movement felt or even heard. A tendency to shuffle along or waddle may develop as women try to distribute their weight evenly.

As far as your family are concerned just tell them your physio has told u not to walk too much and to rest as much as possible. Or just scream at them, then they'll learn to not mention it again!! lol

[manamana]

sending you sympathetic virtual hugs. i had this and was pretty much house-bound for the last 3 months of my pregnancy. The final straw for me was walking (shuffling in agony) around IKEA and the whole rest of Crawley out of town shopping centre looking for a bed for ds1, with me complaining of pain and almost in tears and my husband having NO understanding. I really overdid it that day and things just got worse and worse from there. He did feel bad when we found out what was actually wrong (v helpful midwife got me an emergency physio when i cried in pain when having to move to be examined at check-up). Had all the helpful comments from women who had never heard of it before, and people who thought i just had a 'bad back' grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
All worth it in the end but I am in great admiration of anyone who went through it twice or more... I didn't have it with my first. I had a support belt which helped a lot and wore it 24/7. Good luck, print out this thread and show anyone who isn't supportive.

[ellenjames]

u have my sympathy, my family seem to suggest it's cause i am overweight as well as pregnant! Bless them just what i want to hear! I AM overweight but have been diagnosed with spd. I also have big babies, and this one is about 5lb already, and i am 32 weeks today! Must admit i find the rule of little and often works for me. I can walk and find it eases me a bit, as long as not for too far. I find i am worse first thing in the morning, and bloody struggle to get out of bed.

[RnB]

SPD is incredibly painful, and no-one can have any idea of that until they experience it themselves.

You cannot 'walk it off'. You poor thing. Get lots of rest.

[Gemzooks]

how bloody annoying of them. get them round there and helping you out.

I have it at the mo (31 weeks).

NOT walking is the only thing that improves it. anything where your legs are working independently of each other makes it worse. I have found the pilates for pregnancy DVD is helping quite a bit, and making sure I tuck my bum in while standing and not allow my back to arch..

you have my sympathy!

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

Thank you everyone who replied!

I think I'm going to send them a copy of that leaflet so they can at least see that it is very different to back pain, and needs different treatment.

I don't think they understand at all how restrictive I'm finding it. I live at the top of a hill, and although shops are 5 minutes walk away I am so ridiculously stressed by the fear of getting stuck at the bottom of the hill unable to walk back up, that I mostly just avoid going into town at all. Which makes me feel isolated and annoyed at myself for being pathetic.

It would just be that little bit easier if I got some sympathy and support rather than judgement.

I had read all the literature, and was sure that walking could make it worse - but when you hear the opposite from people you trust everytime you mention it, you begin to doubt your convictions (especially if your brain is pregnancy mush anyway )

All reassurance here means so much. Thank you all.

The only time I managed to break through at all was when I shouted "Would you recommend someone with a broken leg walk it off?!", which worked for a while. But it couldn't last forever

[conkertree]

Can I ask - for those of you who have had SPD and given birth (as opposed to those of you still pg) - did it make labour a lot worse? I know you have to try and not open your legs too much and there are positions that can help with that, but am getting nervous about how much extra pain there could be this time round?

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

I had SPD with ds2 as well as this time and I have to say that it didn't affect my labour at all. I used a birthball a lot and also had a waterbirth, but didn't use any other pain relief.

I think it can be quite individual, but I know waterbirths are recommended.

[suwoo]

I am worried about how may SPD may develop, I had it in my last pregnancy, but it was bearable and manageable. This time (third pg) I can feel it already and I am only 12 weeks . I am SE and really need to work up to about 37 weeks- please cross your fingers for me .

[youknownothingofthecrunch]

suwoo - you could be me (apart from the flaps), I'm on preg no. 3 and had it last time. This time I started feeling it at around 12 weeks (now nearly 28) and it has gotten steadily worse I'm afraid, but at least I have been prepared for it. Fingers crossed for you - is there any way at all you can do more of your job sitting down?

[Hawkmoth]

MWs told me I wouldn't be able to cope with the pain in labour due to SPD... I found the reverse. Contractions NOT AS BAD as turning over in bed... plus you're used to pain by then so feeling useful pain that's doing something other than chaining you to your bed/chair is actually quite refreshing!

Plus they do say (and this might be balls) that if your ligaments have loosened enough for your pelvis to be going out of line, there's bound to be a bigger gap for the baby to get through...

Labour felt like the light at the end of the tunnel for me!