Pelvic girdle pain

[sksk]

Just wondering if a belt/support might help. The pain has become more severe this week (I am 20 weeks) and is mainly on one side near the groin/groin end of the lower pat of the abdomen on one side. Is this too low for a support belt? I will see the physio in January but will see a chiropractor in the next 2-3 weeks.

Thanks in advance.

I have a Serola brand belt for SPD but only under the supervision of a physio. I wear it really low (physio said if you put your hands on your hips like you are scolding someone, then the top of the belt should be below that. The aim is to squeeze the hip bones together to stabilise the pelvis and the belt has additional straps on each side to pull really tight around the hips.

Mine has made a huge difference to me but my physio has counselled that I need to be primarily concerned about my movement and strengthening exercises and avoiding aggravating movements and not rely on the belt as a remedy. It should be a support only.

Can you see a physio any earlier? As above, sleeping posture is very important, I was advised to sleep on left side, small wedge under my bump, high pillow for neck and then two pillows between my legs right from the pelvis down to the knees. Idea is to keep the knees at the same level but hip-distance apart. But your pain might be a different cause than mine so this might not be right for you. If I were you, I would firstly be highly cautious of a chiropractor, they are nowhere near as qualified or as regulated as a physio and could inadvertently do you real harm. Could you try to see a physio privately instead of spending on a chiro, before your scheduled appointment comes up? It's awful being in pain but you don't want to make it worse.

Thanks for the tips. I will try the frozen sanitary pad. The pain is less bad than yesterday. I am already doing the pillow thing at night. My chiropractor is registered with the General Chiropractic council and does McTimoney chiropractic. She is qualified, regulated and indemnified. She does a lot of soft tissue work and is good at picking up on when things are not quite in balance with me. So I trust her. Not a quack, in other words. As for physiotherapy, I'm sure I could request an earlier appointment. Unfortunately I had complications from a previous delivery and only one physio can deal with that issue, the next available appointment is in January. There is another physio dealing with Gynae issues (not perineal tear related) there, but again, appointments are limited!

Are there any exercises that the Physios have recommended to you?

I would go to a Chiropractor or Osteopath for PGP over an NHS physio any day of the week. The Pelvic Partnership can recommend a Chiropractor or you could ask your regular one to have a look. If they're not confident I'm sure they'll know someone who is.

I've had severe PGP for over 20 years (am a rare case) and I've never had any luck with a physio. I'm seeing one now and came home on Tuesday in tears. She's mean to be getting my legs stronger for surgery, but it's obvious she has no clue what she's doing. I got most relief from an osteopath.

You really need to be resting sksk. Keep your legs together as much as you can, no pushing hoovers, pushchairs or supermarket trolleys. I have a long body pillow in bed, and that helps a lot. They had some in ALDI the other day.

I'm reading this with interest as I also have PGP at 22 weeks. It's not constant but it really hurts, like being stabbed. Just got my physio referral through.
Things that have helped me are avoiding sitting with legs crossed, sitting on an exercise ball, pregnancy yoga exercises and sleeping with a cushion between my legs.

I've also got PGP, at 20 weeks now and it seems to get worse the longer I am active. My pain is more to one side and is at its worst when standing on one leg, especially when getting dressed. I am also thinking of getting a belt - can anyone recommend a brand / type as I've no idea what to look for. PS love the sanitary towel idea!

Don't stand on one leg Fernhouse that will aggravate it. Sit down to get dressed, go up stairs one at a time. So one foot on to one stair, then bring the other foot to the same stair, then move on to the next one. It will take longer, but it's better for your pelvis.

A Serola belt is the best one to get. They are more expensive than the ones in Mothercare etc but they're so much better.

Thanks TheFairy - I will take on your advice. Just ordered a Birthing Ball as well - hope all these tips will help! x

Thanks HLS - seeing mw on Mon so will ask for referral. Thanks

Great advice. I found the long pillow helpful even when not pregnant!

Out of interest, does a serola belt help with pain that is more in the groin/hip than the lower back as it still stabilises everything?

My pain is in the front central pubic bones (right between my legs) and to a lesser extent the very base of my spine. The Serola helps with both but particularly the front.

The other thing I should have mentioned is forget about being active if you don't want to exacerbate things. I no longer walk to work (25 minutes) and instead get public transport which takes at least ten minutes longer. Frustrating but definitely required if I want to manage my pain. I am in quite the bind as I also have a history of blood clot and need to be mobile to prevent any risk of reoccurring but anything close to normal activities causes huge pain so I need to balance it all out.

Instead of waiting for NHS physio do you gave any qualified provider that means you can see chiropractor on NHS.

Physio were rubbish. They couldn't do manual manipulation needed as per pelvic partnership charity suggested was needed- just tubi grip, crutches and basic exercises. I have them treat that as an informal chat as they didn't have skills to provide what was needed and went to GP.

At 21 weeks I saw chiropractor and was unable to move properly. Now at 34wks I've exhausted my free sessions and I'll be seeing her a couple more times under a concessionary rate. She has quite literally saved me during this pregnancy.

So I now have debilitating back pain. Will see the physio tomorrow but in the meantime am unable to sit, stand, lie down without pain. I really hope the physio can help tomorrow!