Shocked and sadenned that GP not interested in PGP recovery

[KatyS36]

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the correct place to post, but hoping someone can help me clarify my feelings on this one.

I suffered seriously with PGP in my last pregnancy and ended up in a wheelchair. Whilst I had a big improvement post birth I didn't 'just get better'. After a 2 year slog, a great private physio, being a guinea pig for some of the latest research coming out of Australia and hours in the gym I have almost completly recovered. (Can't yet run a 5km, but no problems in every day life and can swim, bike and almost ski to pre-pregnancy standards).

I was at my GP for a separate issue and mentionned that I had now almost completly recovered, she just had no interest. I repeated myself and added 'as you remember I couldn't walk' and still no recognition.

I get really cross about how the NHS refuses to manage/treat PGP, but what astonished me was that on this occasion I didn't actually want her to do anything, I thought she might be pleased/interested to hear about it. It was a really nice GP who I know well, but its almost as if PGP doesn't qualify as a 'problem'.

Katy

PS If you are reading this and pregnant with PGP I am not typical. The majority of women do just recover after givign birth.

Hi Katy,

I didn't have the problems with recovery as you but did suffer severe PGP in my (twin) pregnancy. GP was worse than useless, I was prescribed something I can't remember the name of now to rub on my back which wasn't even suitable for use in pregnancy. I was able to see a private osteopath who kept me just about mobile but if I couldn't have afforded it I'm pretty sure I would have ended up in a weelchair so I'm afraid I agree and it isn't really seen as a problem.

Glad you are almost back to normal now.

I asked a GP (not my usual one) if there was a local physio he could recommend, he stared at me blankly and offered to prescribe me paracetamol. I told him I was happy to pay the 37p myself.

Turns out there is an EXCELLENT local physio dept, runs on a self-referral basis, all he needed to do was hand me the form. Luckily my midwife sorted me out with one but this was weeks later by which time
I could barely walk. Physio was enormously helpful. Agree it is seen as a bit of a non-problem.

However it is VERY temporary for the vast majority (myself included) so if I were being super charitable I might assume this had something to do with it. That and the fact he was clearly a doddering incompetent arsewipe who acted as though he'd never seen a woman before let alone a pregnant one. Bastard.

I had either spd or pgp in my last preg.. I don't know which cause they never bothered to diagnose me but just gave me crutches and showed very little intrest in the fact I could barely walk.

I reminded my doctor this time when I went to start my pregnancy care and said could i have a physio referal earlier this time as the pgp started at around 12 weeks last time. She looked at me blankly and said your midwife will look at that at your booking app. Which is at 10 weeks and so I won't been seen by a physio until 16 weeks at least by which time it will be too late again!

There's a sticky thread about antenatal care at the moment, this might be a good thing to mention there?

I could've written the OP...

I had severe SPD / PGP in my last pregnancy, trying to cope with 3 children, chronic pain and reduced mobility was humiliating, depressing amongst a million other feelings. My GP wasn't that interested, referred me to rheumatology (passed the buck) on to orthopaedics (almost laughed me out of clinic), Pain Managment team (wanted to stick needles in me but weren't sure why / if it would work) and physio who continually insisted my hip was the problem, tried to manipulate it, caused more pain and then gave up. Not to mention the Core Stability and Spinal Triage exercise groups where I was given the wrong exercises and exacerbated the symptoms....

Eventually I found an amazing Osteopath. I struggled in to my first appointment on crutches, and walked out as if there was nothing wrong.

I am 27/40 pregnant and my osteopath has been maintaining my symptoms. I have groin pain which is mild in comparison to the debilitating pain I had previously. My midwife has asked if I'd like physio referral - I politely declined but I wouldn't go anywhere near another physio. Ever. I will eternally be grateful to the osteopath who listened and correctly diagnosed the sacro-iliac inflammation and hypermobility which were both contributing to the PGP and for fixing me. He thinks the problem probably came from my first pregnancy (big baby, OP position, epidural / ventouse) and had I correctly been diagnosed in all of the times I went to GP with low back and referred pain, then the PGP probably wouldn't have been so severe.

Maybe we are just expected to 'get on with it'?

Hi Katy,

Read your post with interest. Have struggled and struggled with painful PGP during my pregnancy and then for a good 18 months afterwards. I'm still not fixed and have seen every health professional under the sun. The only thing that helps is my osteopath - expensive but so worth it.

My GP doesn't even ask how it is, and, like you, I remind her from time to time that I have limited mobility and long term chronic pain, but she couldn't be less interested. Asks if I've tried Voltarol!

I was interested when you mentioned new research coming from Australia - is this something you could point me in the direction of? I have been trying to fix myself using books etc as no one in real life tends to listen. NHS physio told me I will never get better and has referred me to a counsellor.

We are right here with you in this experience. I have severe PGP and an eight month old child (posted extensively elsewhere about this). This afternoon, my husband spent an hour with our family GP, pleading with him to recognise that I'm not making it up, giving up, reluctant to look after the baby, etc. He did it because I was in tears with pain and couldn't face the painful car journey and wheelchair hassle, only to be told to man up yet again.

So now our GP assures us that every doctor in the practice is now aware that spd is a potentially serious condition requiring a prompt physio referral. But because my situation is so 'unique' and unlikely, that's pretty much all they can offer.

Pelvic Partnership has a list of specialist practitioners and are on top of every new treatment available. In my opinion, they're better than any GP or consultant.

When I went to my GP about ongoing sacroiliac pain and difficulty in carrying out daily tasks (I couldn't even kick a ball to my kids) 2 years after pg 2, he referred me to xray and, when inconclusive (I could feel my bones moving around on the xray table!) got told the only other option was surgical plates and that was unlikely to solve anything. Keep paying up for the physio

So I found a different practitioner who spotted my pelvis had sheared, put it back and gave me exercises to loosen up the muscles which were pulling it out of place. Combined with that and taking up climbing, I haven't looked back since. I'm not sure I could run, like Katy, but I was certainly more confident and mobile. Pg 3 and now suffering sometimes but my exercises and innate caution are keeping the worst at bay.

What exercises were you doing in the gym Katy?

I've had the opposite experience. Went to see my GP about my SI pain and was immediately referred to hospital physio and hydrotherapy. It's been great. It got worse before it got better and my GP didn't hesitate to sign me off work for a month.

Katy, I'd also love to hear more about the Australian research.

I had horrible PGP in my first pregnancy. I used a private chiropractor which kept me from utter despair but the NHS physios were nice but useless other than the crutches they supplied. I also didn't immediately recover and have spent months going from physio to orthos to osteopaths. I've been diagnosed with an underlying joint condition but no obvious treatment available. I'm now pregnant with number 2 and already terrified of the pain. I'm going to call the Partnership tomorrow and find someone to start seeing now, while I'm still 'normal'.

Incidentally, I've had the Rost method recommended to me by a friend in Canada. Has anyone here come across it? After a dreadful first pregnancy, she said that it kept her more or less mobile in her second.