When pregnancy is a pain in the butt and pelvic girdle pain is to blame, we can thank our baby and our amazing bodies for the discomfort. As weight is gained and the hormone relaxin is released in the body during pregnancy, mothers can experience pelvic girdle pain as these shifts occur. Pain may be intermittent, constant, acute or chronic. It strikes at the most convenient times, too (insert sarcastic tone here).

Pelvic girdle pain is a term used for discomfort circling the hip bones, sacrum and coccyx. It can include lumbar pain that wraps around through the sacrum, to the pubic bone and down the thigh. The pelvis can be titled or hips misaligned; there may be inflammation in the tissues in the pelvis, the symphysis pubis pain, to have excessive movement in the joints.

What Does It Feel Like?

Discomfort can feel  sharp, dull and achey, tight, or a bolt of lightning down the leg. In pregnancy, a hormone called relaxin is released in the body, allowing ligaments and bones to shift in order to accommodate the changes your body needs to make space for the growth of  baby. In addition to weight gain, The pelvic bone cavity, expands, allowing for sensitivity and joint dysfunction to surface. As a result, muscle tightness in the low back and gluteus muscles occur to compensate for the weight bearing in the front of the body.

The misalignment can cause pubic bone pain (symphysis pubis pain), sacroiliac pain (SI joint pain), sciatica, bladder incontinence, impaired or waddling gait, and difficulty sleeping.

What Can You Do?

1. Acupuncture: Research has shown acupuncture has shown to decrease pain more effectively than just stabilizing exercises alone.*
2. Strengthening low back, legs and pelvic floor muscles. A physical therapist that specializes in women’s health can assess any misalignment and give you exercises to do to correct.
3. Epsom salt soak to relax your muscles: 2 cups in the tub
4. Take smaller steps when walking
5. Acupressure, massage or body work with someone that is certified in pregnancy body work to relieve muscle tension.
6. Yoga: pigeon pose seated or on the floor can do wonders for gently stretching the gluteus muscles

* Elden H, Ladfors l, Fagevik Olsen M, Ostaard H, Hagberg H. (2005) “Effects of acupuncture and stabilising exercises as adjunct to standard treatments in pregnant women with pelvic girlde pain: a randomized single blind controlled trial.”, British Medical Journal; 330 (7494):761

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