Physio or osteopath for sciatica and pgp?

[Workingmama1]

I'm 22 weeks and suffering from bad sciatica and the beginning of pgp. Would you recommend and physio or osteopath as best for treatment? I am covered for physio through my health insurance but one I've found also has an osteopath on site and have recommended her, not sure which us best.

I used an osteopath. She was amazing.

a physio will just give you exercises to do, an osteopath will manipulate the area and magically take the pain away... can you guess that I used one when pregnant. she was so quick and it felt like she didn't do anything but it helped so much.

I'm 23 weeks. By this point last pregnancy I needed crutches. This pregnancy, I'm still able to walk fine. My leg doesn't get 'stuck'/ give out very often and I can still do stretches (which help me a bit with the spd part of my pgp).

The difference? I see an osteopath who is trained in pregnancy issues regularly and have done for the last 10 or so weeks. We're pretty hopeful I won't need crutches this pregnancy.

I saw a physio last pregnancy. She was the one who finally gave me crutches.

Osteo every time. I had a bit of physio last pregnancy - if there’s anything that doesn’t tick a box, they’re totally unable to help. She just kept saying ‘but you’ve got a really strong core’ as if she disbelieved I could be suffering with pgp.

Learnt my lesson for this pregnancy and have seen an osteo every week since 3 months pregnant. I’m now 37 weeks and still walking quite comfortably! Only real twinges are at night when I turn over. Good luck, it’s hell and you have my sympathy

physio will just give you exercises to do, an osteopath will manipulate the area and magically take the pain away

Don't listen to this!

Either practitioner is fine, what matters is their having experience in this area (a proven track record). Patients often have to travel to their closest practitioner, whether it's an osteopath or physio.

Treatment in either case should involve manual therapy (if it doesn't they're not doing their job properly) and exercises. A physio has the edge with the exercises.

In neither case will the pain necessarily disappear although sometimes it does. It may be worse straight afterwards.

PGP is a complex mechanical issue involving five joints around the pelvic girdle. There are any number of ways your body could respond and any number of reasons why your body is struggling. Regardless of how much it feels like it helps with the pain, regular manual therapy from an expert is essential.

Try Pelvic Partnership.

The realignment therapy is similar no matter who you receive it from, as long as they're experienced.

Osteopath, every time for me. I find they're much better at diagnosing properly, although the resultant treatment may often be much the same.