Hi Everyone,
I recently attended a weekend seminar in Sydney learning the latest research into pelvic girdle pain and how to treat it. Host by a fellow osteopath and member of the research team at 'Women's Health & Research Institute Australia', it brought us up to date on the latest treatment recommendations for preparing for labour, recovering from C-sections and the protocols for common complaints during pregnancy. It also emphasised the frequency of pelvic girdle pain following trauma from a fall or accident which has gone untreated resulting in chronic pain. Much of our role is post-partum recovery following long or traumatic labour (or fall) which can lead to painful areas of skin, nerve damage, bowel and bladder symptoms, changes to the nervous system and scar tissue. Research shows that osteopathic treatment with exercise and education significantly reduces disability, and improved lumbo-pelvic pain and physical function (1).
Osteopathic treatment has been reported to be safe for the entire pregnancy unlike other manual therapies, and halts and prevents worsening of LBP and pelvis pain during pregnancy (2). 📷 Osteopaths will typically treat pudendal neuralgia and pelvic girdle pain, which presents often in the sacroiliac joint or pubic symphysis. Patients will typically complain of:
'odd nerve feelings' in the pelvic region
pain ever since trauma/birth/fall
difficulty with stairs
weight bearing is limited
pain lying on side/back
pain during sex
One of the key things in all the research is that prevention and early intervention with all pelvic girdle pain is key. Having treatment during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of your pregnancy if you feel any pain is important to help prepare for labour. Then following up with postpartum support alongside exercises, offers the best outcome for these patients.
THE GOOD NEWS is that we now have the research to support the role of osteopathy within the treatment protocol for these chronic and acute pains.
Craig & Alison
Milton Osteopathic Clinic 4454 4995
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