PGP/SPD - Help please

[WhyOWhyWouldYou]

I'm 20 weeks and I've got PGP, which started 3 weeks ago. I'm waiting on an NHS physio referral but the pain is now unbearable. I can't take any more pain, especially the trapped nerve pains inside my lady parts and the way my hips are now affecting my back (I have 3 separate long term back problems, 2 injuries, 1 nerve problem). I could probably just about deal with the rest of it (you know the sciatica pains, general hip pain making walking hard, the fact my left knee is now grating and hurting), if those other bits would stop. But they won't. I've spent the last 1.5hrs in tears the pains so bad. I can't take co-codomal or codine because they make me physically sick and extremely dizzy.

Oh and to make it worse, when not pregnant I take pain relief/ muscle relaxants in order to sleep because of my existing back problems. So my back is always worse in pregnancy anyway.

So my questions are:

1. How long did others have to wait to see the NHS physio?
2. How, on this earth, do you find a private physio that will do obstetric physio? - I've tried googling but too no avail.
3. any ideas for reducing the pain? I'm trying to keep my knees together, when getting in and out of the car/bed etc, I tried a thin pillow between my knees when sleeping but that just hurt my back more whilst not really helping with my hips much.

I've got NHS Physio TODAY!!! Looks like ending up crying on the phone was a good thing, they had a cancellation so called me. Its at 2:30. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it helps.

Excellent. Make sure you stress all your problems and don't downplay anything.

Adding my support. Been dealing with PGP since about 28w in my first pregnancy. Now 38wks. Serola belt was great whilst at work and walking. Resting now on maternity leave. Only took a couple of weeks to see a physio but saw private (just bog standard one) initially. She spent longer with me and did manual therapy on my back which helped alot. The NHS one didn't do that much tbh. I am doing my exercises- pelvic floor, pelvic tilts, abductor and adductor squeezes twice a day. They definitely help. I suffer more on days when I forgot the day before. Have been told normal vaginal birth no problem but will need to be mindful of my pain free gap during labour. Apparently side lying a good position. The pelvic partnership website the most useful source of info IMO.

Good luck with appt!!

Well I'm back. Physio mostly went through exercises I do for my back anyway, but she did give me a lovely support belt that halved the pain when walking and quartered it when bending! They don't do manipulation or more than one appointment (unless you feel you've got bad enough to need crutches or wheelchair). So I am going to find a private physio or osteopath.

I haven't read all the replies, so I may be repeating others...

I had pgp that kicked in at 18 weeks. I was in agony around 20 weeks. Thought I'd be on crutches by the end, but in fact by about 36 weeks I was relatively pain free. This is my advice based on what got me through

1. Find a physio or osteopath or chiropractor who specialises in women's health. If you're in London I can recommend someone excellent. It took me three goes to find someone who helped rather than made it worse, so persevere.
2. support belt did nothing for me and beware wearing one before you've been checked out by physio/osteo/chiro as if your pelvis is 'out of joint' then a belt will only make it worse
3. Acupuncture is the one single thing I can say kept me relatively pain-free. Again, I found a great person who specialised in women's health (found her via google) and saw her once a week (at £20 a pop - best money I've ever spent!)
4. All the usual stuff about keeping legs together, not walking too far, sleeping with pillow between legs, etc.
5. Don't wait around for the NHS. When I finally got in to see the NHS physio she was utterly useless. I knew more about pgp than she did. I went private and it was completely worth it. PGP is something you need to sort out sooner rather than later to help avoid ongoing problems (not trying to scare you!)

Good luck and hang in there. Just because it's bad now doesn't mean that it will continue to get worse. Mine eased off around 30ish weeks and for the last month or so I was pretty good. I had no problems whatsoever giving birth (in a pool, on my knees, no pain relief) and it pretty much went away as soon as baby was out.

Just checking in to see how you got on at the physio. Crazy that the NHS won't do any hands on work. Have you tried calling the pelvic partnership yet to get recommendations for private? As CityDweller said, if the joints are out of alignment then the belt is only going to hold them in that position, so it is important to get that seem to as soon as possible.

Well I'm still waiting for pelvic partnership to call me back from the message I left last week. I've tried them again this morning but its always just going to answer phone.

I've also contacted POGP (Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy) who are part of the charted physio thing and am waiting to hear back from them.

I have through google come across the name of one woman, who apparently does Physio for SPD/PGP, not far from me. When I've called up it seems she's now the big boss of a large sports injury Physio group, but the receptionist said she'd get her to call me back to see whether she can do it or recommend someone who can. - Fingers crossed.

The support belt that felt great when the NHS Physio had put it on me, I can't seem to adjust right and get no relief from now.

Pain when I'm "sleeping" is getting a heck of a lot worse. Im desperate for more sleep. Sometimes the pillow between the knees helps a bit, sometimes it makes it worse. I'm trying to find some satin PJs and wishing I was thinner so it wasn't so difficult.

Feeling really quite down today. I need to go to the bank, the library and to two different shops and I can't face any of them. Its just too painful to walk into any of them from the car. I also need to get my Flu jab but my gp surgery doesn't have a carpark of its own or any allowance of on street parking (enfoced double yellows all around it), so you have to park in a town centre car park, that is for a physically able person, just a 2min walk away - I'm honestly wondering how I can manage it.

I'm also finding it increasingly difficult that I can't manage to get to and look after my ponies (DH is looking after them). They normally keep me on the straight and narrow mentally.

Sorry for such a long and whiney update.

Oscar I said I'd update re ELCS - consultant agreed to it. I did have a lot of reasons for it but tbh i dont think it mattered with NICE guidelines supporting womens choice in the matter. Date will be booked at my 34week appointment.

Only just seen this thread!! I second everything CityDweller said... I've had it since 28 weeks and only got an NHS physio appointment at 32 weeks despite the 'urgent' referral from my midwife. And, the physio was useless. I tried two osteopaths and the second one did help quite a bit so
I saw her twice a week at first - once a week now as it's expensive and I'm feeling a bit better. I am on crutches if I have to walk more than about 30 m and am house bound mostly - fingers crossed it does go away when this baby arrives. I'm 35 weeks now and feeling much better than I was two weeks ago because of the osteopathy and being signed of work and resting... Still wake up in pain during the night (and hate turning over) and have constant stabbing pains up my groin but they are less severe than they were. Also the pain in my lower back and outer hips has reduced (although still always there). So definitely try to find a private osteopath. They are expensive but I think really worth it.

(Thank goodness I didn't have this with Dc1 and dc2...!)

I'm surprised the Pelvic Partnership hasn't got back to you - I emailed them and they replied the same day. There's some really good information on their website - and by reading it I clearly knew a lot more about PGP than the NHS physio i saw too ...

Hi Why I have has spd since about 20 weeks saw the nhs physio whilst she did some work she was abit grin and bear it because i can't use crutches due to bad shoulder from a riding accident and from a different one I have a screwed up back anyway, after discussing with my gp and consultant (including cardiologist as i like to pass out a lot with this pregnancy) I was advised that once a week I could take my pain medication Tramadol so I could get a good nights sleep I don't know if this is worth mentioning to doctors or not mine were of the opinion of an occasional use will not do baby any harm and me not sleeping and therefore being extremely stressed due to it will be more harmful.
I also found a private physio who did osteopath and chiropractor I think you just need to try word of mouth that's how I found him if you are anywhere near Bolton/ Salford he works in both places and its the best £35 I have ever spent I did need to see him twice a week for the first couple of weeks as I was so bad run out of money now so saving to go again after baby is here. Hope at least some of that makes sense good luck with everything

beginnersahm I should have updated about pelvic partnership, it took a couple of weeks and a few answer phone messages but they did come back to me and sent a book out on SPD/PGP. The Physio on their lists was the one I'd found and there were no local osteopaths on their list.

I did see the private physio, who helped a bit but she was reluctant to do much manual manipulation.

I have steadily got a lot worse and at just 28weeks I need a wheelchair to manage even fairly short distances. Which is ridiculous! I'm predominately housebound, which is driving my toddler mad. He loves shopping and being out and about and groups. I am managing to get to soft play with him but its very much a case of leaving him to it once in there and just the tiny walk from car to inside and sitting on the hard seats they have really does me in and causes extremely bad pain that night and the following day, with even more restricted movement. I was doing that once a week, but am now starting a second day with him - he needs to get out and interact with other kids and despite how hard it is on me IRS the most manageable option.

I have now tried an osteopath who has definitely helped a quite a bit (had my second appointment with her yesterday). Hopeful that she'll at least be able to prevent me getting worse than I am now.

My ponies also moved to stay with my mom not long after my last post about them. I'm missing them terribly.

*IRS = it is - what a bizarre auto correct!

tomanyanimals I can really relate re the shoulder - mine has stopped me being able to use crutches too.

I really can't bring myself to take tramadol. The pain can be ridiculous though, especially at night.

11 more weeks to go until elcs. It feels like a lifetime. I cannot get over how bad all this SPD/PGP malarky is, last time when I didn't get it at all, I was building flat pack furniture on my due date and still unpacking boxes, running up and down the stairs (we'd just moved house) - this time I couldnt have done any of that at 20weeks , never mind now or when I'm due.