I have seen a couple of girls in clinic this week with pelvic girlde pain , at the front of their pelvis . This is called Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction (PSD). So I thought i’d give you a few little tips if you have been experiencing pubic symphysis pain in pregnancy .
Basically it occurs when there is extra stress or a slight movement at the front of your pelvis , this might be caused by hormones creating more laxity on your pelvis during pregnancy and combined with asymmetrical posture or muscle imbalances, it can also be caused by the position of the baby and general biomechanics of the mum . It causes pain at the front of your pelvis often into the groin on one side in particular and is often accompanied by back pain at the sacro-iliac join on that side as well. You may also find that you have a lot of tension up one side of your back and feel a bit on the wonk! ( technical term)
My Top 12 Tips for pelvic Girdle pain are as follows :
1: Slow down , and take time out to rest
2. Avoid taking your legs too far apart , and take smaller steps when walking
3. Try taking 2 poly bags one on top of the other when getting in and out of the car to swivel
4. Make sure your hips are higher than your knees when sitting – a wedge cushion can be super helpful
5. Try sitting on a gym ball instead of a hard chair
6. Try activating your deep abdominal muscles and pelvic floor when going to stand up or sit down or generally moving from one position to the other
7. Try a Serola Belt – I love them and often have the odd one for clients to borrow or come and get taped up with Kiniseptape , works wonders !
8. Try icing the area ! hmmm tricky? Try a frozen sanitary towel and popping it over the area ..!!
9. Make sure you know how to engage the deep abdominal muscles that provide stability to the pelvis and exercise them! .. i’ll show you in another Vlog/Blog..
10. Try Pelvic tilts either on a gym ball or in standing
ohh here’s 2 extra …
11. Come and get a good massage to work out the tight areas that may be impacting the movement of your pelvis
12. Make sure that tight areas are well stretched out – try physio yoga or pilates classes , classes that are taught by physios specialised in womens health can be brilliant to guide you through what will help and what won’t! Oh .. plus.. massage your adductors ( the muscles on the inside of your legs that pull on your pelvis) , or give them a good massage yourself!
Make sure you consult a physio specialised in pregnancy care if you are finding you are still in pain and need extra help !
