Pelvic pain one year on :(

[ALittleBitOfChristmasMagic]

I had dc2 one year ago and during my pregnancy I had mild SPD . However once ds was born my pain didn't get better , it's actually got worse over the last year .

It's so bad now it's bothering me all day every day to some extent . Sometimes to the point I am crying (especially when I just wake up in the morning)

I've also been having bother with my legs - all the joint in my legs seem to stiffen and I can't walk properly . This happens when I just wake in the morning or when I have been sitting for around half an hour or more .

I've seen my gp and he told me to self refer to physio (which I have but waiting times are months and months )

So last week I decided to see a holistic therapist and got a back massage . She told me she could feel that there is something not right with my pelvis . It is protruding worse than any other woman she has ever massaged (who has given birth) she also said it seems out of line on my left and my left leg is out of line .

As she is not a HCP I don't know what to think ? She's very experienced and I do believe her but what now ? She gave me some exercises to do and told me if the drs tell me they want to break and reset my pelvis (!) not to let them it will cause me more problems .

I'm just so worried about it and I'm in complete agony

Wow didn't realise that was so long

I'd go and see an osteopath or chiropractor. It sounds like your pelvis is out of alignment and manipulation by a qualified therapist should sort it out

Thanks I think it will look into that . Will they be able to realign it without surgery ? I just need it shoved back into place

To be honest I'm not entirely surprised My whole life I've always had dodgy hips . I always feel like they could pop out of place at any minute . They never have though so I've always thought I was imagining it !

Although I can't commit to a diagnosis I've never heard of anyone needing their pelvis surgically realigned for symptoms like this! I'd say take that comment from the massage therapist with a pinch of salt. I've been a GP for best part of 10 years!

I saw my osteopath during pregnancy I had sacroiliac pain- where the low back meets the pelvis and it sorted it out.

HI I doubt you'll need surgery don't worry about that. I had my second dc 6 week's ago. I too had mild spd bit it's been hard since. I have an excellent physio who specialises in women's health and I have to see him once a week or I have the pain you describe. Groin pain thigh pain etc that is coming from sacrollic joint also the tendons on groin will be swollen. You must see a very good physio who can help you get better otherwise it won't go away. Can you afford together some private physio for a while. Keep working your pelvic floor and very important that you get a belt to hold you together. Iwore mine whole last mmonth of Pregnancy and I'm still wearing it I have a few days were I don't then I get sore again and as soon as I put it on it feels better. This week I tried to not see physio but it got sore yesterday and that gives me a fright from what I've Google's so hewill fit me in this morning luckily. He will do some massage some mmanipulation and acupuncture. Hope you can get seen too. I'm in Scotland don't know where you are but please pm me if you need anymore info. I could ask my physio if he can recommend a good Physio where you are if need be.

I'm sorry, I don't have any answers, I'm just marking my place in case somebody else can give an answer! DD is now 5 and I've had pains in my right hip since pregnancy. I can visibly see that right hip is out of place and one leg seems to stand shorter than the other now, making my whole body off-balance. GP has referred me for MRI but nothing was seen, now just tells me that he doesn't know what it is so just "see how it goes". Tbh I'm getting used to living with the agony pain, but really need to do some pushing with GP.

So yes, I would love to hear some answers too!

Typo - DD is 4, not 5

talking you need to see. Physio too a good one! Otherwise your pain will increase you must be compensating and you've got to get it sorTed. Ask gp to refer you to Physio. Also have a coolant Alexander techniques classes in your area

Thanks sweetiepie!

Definitely see an osteopath. I've had a bit of hip pain and tightness during my pregnancy and the osteo has been great for releasing it and getting me balanced in both hips.

taking you need to go back to your GP and make them understand how much pain you're in and make them do something! I can't believe how crap HCPs are at dealing with "wimmin's issues", it's like some biblical hangover / Eve related crap about suffering being the lot of women. Makes me cross on your behalf!

I m a Physio.
You should see a specialist women's s health Physio. Phone the hospital you delivered in and ask if you can be referred to the specialist women's health physiotherapist. The ACPWH may also have a list of Physio s in your area whom are women's health or pregnancy specialist.
Your pelvis could be misaligned after the pregnancy and birth you may need to realign this but also it s very important to strengthen specific muscles to prevent it recurring.
Check out the ACPWH web page - Google Should get it.

I was wondering if there is a support group on here for people with long term post-partum pelvic girdle pain.

I had SPD (as it was then called) quite badly in my last (twin) pregnancy. It resolved after delivery, then returned to haunt me when the twins were about six (possibly triggered by ice-skating).

I manage it with weekly Pilates with a very good teacher who understands the condition. I can miss one Pilates class occasionally, but missing two or three puts me almost back to square one: hobbling around in a lot of pain.

The other thing I have found is that sleeping with my knees together helps.

Lots of great advice already here.
Chiropractors can help put joints back into alignment.
Rolfing practitioners can help get your muscles and tendons back into proper proper balance, and in doing so can allow the work that chiro's do - to 'stay' in place. Joints/bones can't stay in place with uber tight or lax muscles not doing their job either.
Rest is vital to help with any inflammation, and also, painkillers (if they can actually touch the pain) sometimes mask the pain allowing us to (sometimes) overdo it......
I am sorry to be short on here, just that at 18ish months after EMCS, and still struggling to walk properly an osteo surgeon told me to come back in another year and he would pin my pelvis. No constructive advice on how to even manage my condition. Luckily I haven't had to try that yet, but I have gone the alternatie route since my GPs had no idea what to do with me, except for load me full of pain relief, which didn't really help.

Def a women's health Physio that you need. I had a dramatically misaligned pelvis after dd1 and had to have it manipulated - the reduction in pain was dramatic. Good luck!

I think your holistic therapist is being dangerously melodramatic. You might need to be realigned but to say that it is 'protruding' like you are deformed is just stupid. This is not to put down your pain, SPD is awful, but it's manageable.

First fixes:
See a physio who deals with SPD. Prioritise this, even if you have to go private. getting help sooner rather than later is vital.
You can get a pelvic support belt but you must get one from a physio who can show you where to wear it properly.

Sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs so that your knees are hip width apart - this stops your pelvis being pulled slightly apart by your knee drooping (this should make a surprisingly big difference to your pain levels in the morning).
Never, ever, EVER cross your legs or ankles.
Get in and out of cars with your legs together as if you were wearing a really short skirt. Basically try and keep your legs together and level as much as poss.
Start doing Pilates. Like ThreeBee I am good if I go, very creaky and sore if I don't.

I have a friend who had to have her pelvis pinned and the nerves burned out ( does not bear thinking about) but she was pretty much disabled from permanent agonising pain and it was very much a last resort. There is plenty you can do before then.

I could not lie on my side even after my child was born, since my pelvic bones were overlapping each other, which would make it feel like my leg was dislocated. The only way to right this was to see a chiropractor. I slept upright in bed for a very long time, and used a slide aid - satin sheet to assist me getting into bed - under my body esopecially my bum. This way, there was no misalignment of any of my joints getting in or out of bed. This technique actually helped me a lot, even though it's a bit of a pain - I got used to it. As previous posters said - always two feet on the ground at any one time to support you. PUtting clothes on sitting down is essential.