So it's now two years down the line and I still have a dodgy pelvis. I'm getting fed up. Anyone have advice?

[broguemum]

Title says it all really. I have a dodgy pelvis.

I know it is not as bad as some people's but I am begining to get really down about it and it is impinging on my lifestyle. It started nearly 2 years ago 4 weeks into pregnancy and then SPD really kicked off around 20 weeks. I was totally immobilised towards the end of the pregnancy and movement was really inhibited for months after the birth and I am still having problems.

My doctor says what I have now is severe muscle spasms due to a twisted pelvis. He's treated the muscles with cortisone injections and I've had four courses of physio to realign the pelvis but it keeps on twisting back. How can I keep on top of this? Does anyone else have experience of this sort of thing? Are there exercises I can do to strengthen the SIJ as that appears to be where the problem is?

Sorry to be pathetic but I am feeling rather miserable about this today.

Lots of sympathy coming your way.

I'm 19 months postpartum and still have SPD symptoms, which seem to wax and wane and are, I think, worse before my period. Not helped either by having the sort of job where I do a lot of squatting and lifting and clambering and sliding on slippery surfaces, so I think it's all gone and then manage to set it off again. It's frustrating when everyone said it would go after the birth. It is better but it isn't gone. My GP says I've managed to properly separate the two sides of my pelvis, apparently I have a high pain threshold and just did way too much when pregnant , although I wasn't nearly as bad as you were by the sounds of things. The physios weren't much help tbh, they even suggested I had another baby because apparently that sometimes makes it better !

I'm not a big fan of hormonal contraception but I would try it otherwise because it seems to worsen around my period. An old midwife advised me to try a chiropractor, although I've so far taken that with a pinch of salt. Might be worth a shot though. What about Alexander technique or an osteopath? Haven't tried these myself but anything which helps posture can't be bad. I also looked into Pilates with a woman who did ante- and postnatal stuff who said she could help me but it was too expensive.

Hope you get it resolved soon, it's a really miserable thing.

Um. Never heard that having another baby could make it better! All I've heard is that it could make it worse. It's making me think very seriously as to whether we will go for number 3 or not.

Fortunately most of the what I would describe as the SPD sypmtoms have gone. I don't get the shooting pain in the pubis, I can climb stairs, I separate my knees enough to get in and out of the car, I can roll over in bed etc etc so it is much better than it was. My sympathies go out to you if you are still having these.

What I do get is an incredibly achy coccyx, very painful lower back and buttocks, extreme tenderness over one hip joint and the occasional bout of not being able to put any weight at all on my right leg. I can't do sit ups as it hurts my hip, I can't do aerobics, I can't ride any more, I can't run and I am becoming unfit as a result.

Thanks for the suggestion about Alexander technique and Pilates. I will see if I can find a practitioner over here.

Hope you manage to resolve your problems. Any chance of being able to cut out the things that kick it off at your work? Your description of what you do has intrigued me. I have decided you are a cat burglar!

Nope, I'm a vet - spend my days climbing over gates, lifting fat Labradors and running away from cows on shite-covered concrete - it's SPD-tastic! None of which are really avoidable. But hey, it's mild and I'm living with it.

I really hope you get your problems sorted out too, that sounds rotten. My mum gets this sort of pain (she's in her 50s though!), I think it's called PGP (pelvic girdle pain). She won't do anything about it though [frustrated].

I reckon Pilates has got to be the best shot. Let me know if you get anywhere with it - and I think it would be best to find someone who has experience of what pregnancy does to the pelvis

Hi, I had to stop after four because of this, and was registered disabled for a time with it. I found that pilates and yoga helped enormously, in terms of strengthening the neccessary muscles - it's certainly worth going to see a qualified practitioner about it.

I still find I am much more tender around my period, but I don't use a wheelchair or crutches anymore. I'm hoping eventually to look into osteopathy or something like that, to deal with lingering issues, but now I'm functioning, it's not as high on the priority list.

Hoping some of this helps you.

Not quite the same as I have an arthritic condition, but I also have a dodgy pelvis brought on by pregnancy...

Pilates type exercises can really help focusing on your core stability. Imagine a line drawn from one hip joint to the other - pull in here. It takes a little practice. Keep doing them throughout the day. When you've got the hang of that do that together with holding in your pelvis floor. This takes a bit of cooridination! Once you've got the hang of that hold the two areas in whenever you are lifting or twisting something - it will act as a support belt around your SIJ's and pelvis. Alongside, work on your posture - imagine a string from the top of your head attached to the ceiling, hold yourself tall and consciously relax your shoulder blades down towards your hips - I know that's your upper back but you'll be surprised at the effect it has down to the pelvis.

When you get in to the car, don't split your legs. Sit on the seat side in bum first, then, keeping your legs together turn round to the front.

Whenever lifting something, hold it close in to your body. Better still, don't lift anything. Teach young children they have to climb to you e.g. on to the sofa for a cuddle.

Pelvic pain is the pits, so I really feel for you. If you're getting nowhere with the above I would go back to the GP and ask to be referred to an orthopaedic specialist. They may then x-ray, take MRI's to check that the GP's assessment is indeed correct, and treat you further from there.

Thanks everyone. Much appreciated. Will definitely look up a Pilates instructor and see if I can find the time to do it - not always easy with two young kids and a job!

I've just found it so hard to get my doctor to take this seriously. The gyno is not interested and my GP is a lovely chap but not inclined to pander to his patients. You see, I get the pain usually in the evenings but not every day but when it comes it absolutely immobilises me but by the morning it has usually subsided so I can't kind of demonstrate it IYSWIM?

PS IAteMakkaPakka - being a vet is also pretty exciting although I was quite satisfied with my cat burglar theory. Ho hum.

So sometimes it's ok, sometimes it's not? It's worse after a hard day? I seriously think you need an orthopaedic referral as that sounds more like facet joint pain, which can present in SIJ pain, or sciatic like pain. When you bend down to touch your toes and then go to stand back up again - can you do that smoothly? How does it feel at the time and afterwards? I think you need to go beyond your GP - this is outside their expertise.

See an osteopath - I suffered with SPD which increased in severity with my 3 pregnancies, to the extent that I was offered crutches (but couldn't use them as I couldn't then push disabled DDs buggy) and could only crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees.

Saw the osteopath 4 times and walked out her clinic pain free for the first time in about 4 years. I need to see her again for a tweak now (having not been for a year) but it was worth every penny.

See an osteopath - they will check your whole body - there may (well, there will!) be a reason why your pelvis keeps twisting back and they can treat you accordingly.

Hi, sorry, I've been off line for a few days so thanks for the replies.

Weegle, yes it is worse after I've been relatively active i.e. been on my feet all day, lifted things, pushed things, driven a lot etc etc. I can touch my toes and stand up with no problem but when I sit cross legged my knees stick up in the air as the hip joint is blocked IFSYIM.

Sidge - Your experience sounds as if I have to conquer my fear of going back to an oesteo. The problem is trying to find an oesteopath where I am - in Luxembourg - that speaks a language that I do too!

Thankyouandgoodnight - thanks. I need to conquer my fear.

Also, what's the real difference between an osteo and a chiropracter?